His Favorite Wife
by Brown Eyes Parker
Summary: Grace Van Pelt Rigsby disappeared seven years ago, leaving everybody to believe the worst. Now Wayne Rigsby is remarried, and Grace has suddenly made a reappearence. Inspired by the Cary Grant film of the same title. Major Jisbon included. *COMPLETE*.
1. Chapter 1 Remarriage and Reappearence

**Chapter 1**

"Teresa and I were just talking about it the other day, and we think that getting remarried will be a good thing for you," Patrick Jane said to Wayne Rigsby as they sat in the justice of peace's office. "The kids need a mother, and you can't spend the rest of your life raising them alone. Seven years is long enough, it's time."

"Look who's talking," Rigsby said dryly. "The man who waited ten years after his wife died to move on with somebody else."

Jane pulled a face.

"You know _why_ he waited Wayne," Kimball Cho said impatiently. "He didn't want anything to happen to her."

"That's just an excuse—" Rigsby began.

"Sorry it took me so long to get her Wayne," Bianca Wordsworth said as she breezed into the waiting room and kissed her fiancé's lips. "The traffic was _unbelievably_ horrendous!"

"It's fine," Rigsby assured her with a smile. "All that matters is that you're here now."

Bianca shot a sugary smile in Jane's direction. "Hello there Patrick, it's so good to see you today!"

"Same to you Bianca," Jane replied with false nicety.

"Teresa couldn't join you?"

"She stayed with Ella and Austin," Jane said. "She's sorry that she couldn't join us today, but she told me to offer you her sincerest congratulations."

The truth was his wife _could not_ stand Bianca. She thought it was good that Rigsby was finally moving on, but she often wondered why it couldn't be with Sarah Harringan. The lawyer he had dated for a short period of time before getting back together and marrying Grace Van Pelt.

They had almost convinced him to look Sarah up when Bianca Wordsworth had arrived in his life like a hurricane. He had met her while investigating a case. She had been the best friend, comforting the grieving widow. After they had solved the case, and finding out he had been widowed for a year, she'd called Rigsby up and asked him out on a date. The pair, much to Teresa Lisbon's chagrin, had been inseparable since their first fateful date six years previous.

And now, after a whirl-wind engagement, they were eloping with Cho and Jane as their only witnesses.

Jane wondered how Rigsby had talked the snooty, socialite into eloping in the first place. A clandestine wedding definitely wasn't the woman's type; she _loved_ being in the spotlight. They had all been subjected to her over-the-top soirees on more than one occasion.

There was no talking sense into the younger man anymore. He was too far gone to even _consider _listening to reason. So, Jane and Cho had agreed to do the only thing that they could; go along with their friend and college, even though they both knew it would probably be the worst mistake of his life.

**.**

"Where's Daddy and Uncle Patrick?" ten-year-old Ella Rigsby asked, leaning on Teresa Lisbon Jane's knees and looking up at her with her inquisitive hazel eyes. "I thought Daddy didn't have to leave until tonight."

"They had to do something important before your daddy left," Lisbon answered, putting her book aside.

"Something important for work?" Austin Rigsby asked, his large brown eyes growing solemn. He was the one who felt every death, every murder the team had to investigate. Lisbon could have sworn he was older than his eight years, he seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"Not this time sweetie," Lisbon said, rumpling his red hair. "How about we make some lunch? Uncle Patrick and I stocked up on macaroni & cheese."

"Because we have to stay with you while Dad's away?" Ella asked. "And he knows it's the only thing that Austin will eat since Mom died?"

"Right," Lisbon answered, feeling the usual twinge of awkwardness that she did whenever Ella mentioned Grace. "Do you want to help me make lunch?"

"Yes please!" Austin said, jumping up and down slightly in his spot.

"Well, come on then!" Lisbon said cheerfully.

"Auntie Teresa, why haven't you and Uncle Patrick had any kids yet?" Ella asked.

"Because, we're both too old to have kids," Lisbon answered, rummaging through her cabinets for the blue box of mac & cheese. "Besides, we have our hands full with you and the Cho kids. Do you really think we could manage children of our own?"

"I dunno," Ella answered, shrugging her slender shoulders. "Why don't you _try_?"

"I already told you," Lisbon said, sighing as she counted to ten. "We're both in our early fifties now, we're too old to have kids."

"You guys could always adopt. . ." Ella started tentatively "Please Auntie Reese! We _NEED _more kids around here!"

Lisbon took a deep breath. "Why don't we just drop this subject for now Ella? My brother's kids are coming for a visit this Christmas, so they'll be _plenty_ of kids around here."

"Is Annie coming too?" Austin asked hopefully.

"Yes, she's coming too!" Lisbon assured him with a broad smile.

Austin sighed almost in relief. "Oh! _Good_! So she hasn't forgotten about us since she started at the police academy."

Lisbon could barely contain her laughter as she ripped open the box of mac & cheese and dumped it into the boiling water.

The doorbell rang just as she was finished making the mac & cheese. She told the kids to stay put and hurried off to answer it, thinking maybe it was Jane playing a trick on her.

She opened the door, ready to throw her arms around her husband and give him a kiss, when she realized that Grace Van Pelt née Rigsby, was standing on her threshold.

"May I come in?" Van Pelt asked.

Wordlessly, Lisbon held the door open for her.

"Thanks," she said, offering her an easy smile. "I was just at my house, where is everybody?"

Lisbon finally found her voice. "The kids are in the kitchen waiting to eat lunch—"

"And Wayne?"

Lisbon hesitated for a second before deciding just to bite the bullet. "Well, there's no easy way to tell you this—"

"When?"

"It probably already happened," Lisbon answered, glancing at her wristwatch. "Van Pelt, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be _dead_."

"It's a long story," Van Pelt answered. "Are they going anywhere for their honeymoon?"

"Just to Las Vegas," Lisbon replied. "Wayne didn't want to be away from the kids too long."

"I'm assuming that you have the hotel information?"

"Of course," Lisbon said. "Do you want to come with me while I get it—?"

"No! No. . . I'll just stay here." Van Pelt answered.

**.**

"We're starving Auntie Reese!" Ella whined as Lisbon jotted down Rigsby's information on a pad of paper. "Can we please eat now?"

"Just give me five more minutes and then I'll feed you," Lisbon promised absent-mindedly.

Ella sighed and crossed her arms. _"Please!"_

Lisbon's sigh echoed Ella as she threw some mac & cheese on two paper plates and plunked them down on the table.

"I'll be right back!" She said. "Remember the rules—"

"We can only stay in the kitchen with our food," Ella said, rolling her eyes impatiently. "Yeah, yeah. . . we _know_. It's not like we're babies anymore."

Lisbon smiled affectionately at Ella. "Yeah, I know. Just stay here, okay? I'll be right back. I need to give the person at this door this information."

Ella nodded before digging into her lunch.

**.**

"Here's all the information that you're going to need," Lisbon said, handing the slip of paper to Van Pelt along with her car keys.

"Thank you," Van Pelt replied appreciatively.

"Don't think you're off the hook though," Lisbon told her. "When you get back, I want a full explanation to _how_ you survived."

"I promise, I'll tell you everything!" Van Pelt assured her.

"Go on then," Lisbon said. "Heaven knows I hate Rigsby's choice of a wife. The sooner you save him, the better."

"Thanks again!" Van Pelt said, pulling her former boss into an embrace.

"My car's in the garage, I'll go open it for you and then you can be on your way."

Van Pelt smiled gratefully and squeezed Lisbon extra tight before letting her go.

**TBC. . . **

**Author's Note:**

**Good? Bad? Let me know! I promise, I'm building the story up and you'll know all about where Van Pelt went and what happened to her. You'll also find out how Jane and Lisbon finally got together, and that they're deeply, madly, passionately in love (for an older couple.) Hope you're interested!**

**Love,**

**Holly, 2/17/1012_**


	2. Chapter 2 Shocking Revelations

**Shout-Outs: ****LAurore, vanrigsby, and AngryLittlePrincess. . . glad you guys enjoyed the last chapter, and thanks for reviewing.**

**.**

**Chapter 2**

"Alone at last," Bianca said as Rigsby carried her over the threshold at the hotel they were staying at. "No kids, no nosey Patrick Jane, or his disapproving wife. . . it's just you and me babe."

Rigsby smiled as he sat her down on the bed and leaned into kiss her. "I don't think Lisbon disapproves of you per say, she's just concerned that I'm going to make the wrong choice."

Bianca stopped him from kissing her. "I know, but I can tell that she doesn't like me."

"It's not that she doesn't like you," Rigsby insisted. "She's just very protective of her team. She's practically like an older sister."

Bianca rolled her eyes and tried to bite back a retort. She was not in the mood to argue with her new husband, especially on their honeymoon. She pasted on a fake smile and pulled him a little closer, giving him a teasing kiss.

"Forget about Teresa," she purred. "She's a perfect saint, just like her name suggests."

Rigsby smiled and returned her kiss, pulling her down on the bed with him.

The phone on the beside started to ring, causing him to pull away slightly.

"Don't answer it," she pleaded.

"It might be the kids saying goodnight though," Rigsby said. "Give me two minutes, two minutes and I'll be right back. I promise."

Bianca managed to make her huff sound like a sigh. "Fine. But just _two _minutes."

Rigsby nodded and rolled over to pick up the phone.

"Hello? Oh." He glanced at Bianca, who was getting impatient and nodded. "Sure, I'll be right there. Just give me a second—"

"_Wayne!"_ She whined. "You promised."

"I know sweetie," Rigsby answered, covering the mouth piece with his hand. "But this will only take five minutes tops, it might be work related."

"Teresa cleared your work schedule especially for this weekend though!" Bianca replied, sitting up and crossing her arms over her chest.

"I _promise_ that I'll be right back!" Rigsby said gently as he straightened out his tie and dropped a kiss on her lips. "You just stay here and get comfortable."

**.**

"Patrick!" Lisbon said, flinging the door open and pulling him into their den. "We have to talk!"

"It's nice to see you too," Jane replied, sitting down and tugging her down in his lap. He kissed her deeply. "I missed you today."

"I missed you too," Lisbon answered, pecking his lips. "But Ella and Austin are in the next room watching a movie."

"It's okay," Jane said, pulling her a little closer and nuzzling his nose in her hair. "You said that we needed to talk anyways."

Lisbon struggled to get off his lap. "You're throwing off my concentration; you know that I can't talk when you kiss me like that."

Jane held her put. "I'll stop kissing you, but I want you to stay."

"Okay," she agreed.

"Now, what do you want to talk about?"

"Well," Lisbon started slowly. "I had an interesting visitor today—"

"Not Walter Mashburn again," Jane said, sliding his fingers into her hair.

"No Patrick, it wasn't Walter." Lisbon rolled her eyes. "You really need to get over him—"

"I _am_ over him!" Jane protested.

"Do you want to know who stopped by, or not?"

"I definitely want to know who stopped by."

Lisbon put her lips to his ear and said in a low voice, "It was Van Pelt—"

"_Van Pelt?" _Jane asked incredulously. "But she died in a plane crash, she couldn't have stopped by—"

"She was very much _alive_ this afternoon!" Lisbon insisted.

"Did she tell you what she's been up to these past few years?" Jane asked.

"Well. . ." Lisbon hesitated. "No, but it was only because she was in a rush to find Rigsby after she figured out that he was getting remarried."

"But how can you be sure it was her?" Jane asked.

"Do you really want to sleep on the couch tonight?" she replied. "In all the time that we've been together as partners and then a couple, how many times have I steered you wrong or lied to you?"

"There was that one time when you sent the team out to find Red John and you brought me to your apartment. You put on _Crash Into Me_, and then you were kissing me—"

Lisbon blushed. "That was different."

"Not really, you knew how important it was for me to at least see the man who killed my first wife and daughter—"

"Yeah, well you promised _never_ to bring that up again!" She snapped as she struggled to get out of his lap for a second time.

"You're right, of course. I'm sorry," Jane said sincerely, rubbing circles into her shoulder blade. "So, did Van Pelt go to hunt Rigsby down?"

"She borrowed my car," Lisbon answered, settling back down into his arms. "She might not be back by tomorrow. Do you mind if I catch a ride with you to work?"

"I'd like nothing better than to drive with you to work," Jane replied. "We don't drive together often enough. It does mean that you have to leave a little earlier than usual, somebody has to take the kids to school."

"Hey Aunt Teresa, the movie's done—!" Ella said, her eyes widening. "Ooops, I didn't know Uncle Patrick was home. I'll just go get ready for bed now."

"We'll be up in a minute to tuck you in," Jane said, glancing at a blushing Lisbon.

"Okay!" Ella replied, backing out of the room slowly, smirking at the pair. "Hey Austin, you'll never guess what Aunt Teresa and Uncle Patrick were doing. . . _again_!"

"Honestly," Lisbon said, shaking her head.

Jane just laughed and kissed her temple. "Come on, let's go and make sure the rascals get ready for bed."

**.**

"She's over there," the man behind the desk.

"I'm sorry, but _she_?" Rigsby asked.

"A pretty redhead, says that she's your wife." He winked as to say _what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas_.

"I'm sorry, but my wife's upstairs waiting for me!" Rigsby protested. "We're on our honeymoon—"

"Wayne?"

Rigsby whirled around, his mouth dropping open slightly. "Grace. . ."

She laughed uneasily. "Hey honey, I'm home."

**TBC. . .**

**Author's Note:**

**So, the plot thickens. Well, not really. . . but maybe, you get what I'm saying? Anyways, next chapter I should explain what happened to Van Pelt when she supposedly died. And they'll definitely kiss. . . Van Pelt/Rigsby that is, okay and maybe Jane/Lisbon will kiss some more too. I'm definitely giving Jane/Lisbon a relationship where they don't want to waste a second apart. . . you'll see why. **

**The song that Jane mentioned (which, I will expand on in another chapter) was "Crash Into Me" by the Dave Matthews Band. It's a personal favorite right now, I'm listening to it at 3am in the morning, and then again at 5am. . . and then again. . . well, you get the picture. Bottom line is, I completely have the scene Janer was talking about planned out. **

**If you want to check the song out, feel free to. I like to share!**

**Oh! Please read and review, I love to hear everybody's opinions.**

**Holly, 3/27/1012_**


	3. Chapter 3 Explanations

**Shout-outs: ****LAurore, chymom, dreamingofabetterday, and vanrigsby. . . thanks for your reviews guys. Much appreciated, makes me smile and feel like this story isn't a totally bad idea.**

**.**

**Chapter 3**

"Hey honey, I'm home?" Rigsby repeated incredulously, his voice rising higher than he wanted it to. "You've been gone for seven years and all you can say is _hey honey, I'm home_! We thought you were _dead_ Grace!"

"I know, I know. . . and I'm really, really sorry Wayne. But so much happened while I was away, and I want to tell you everything."

Rigsby pursued his lips together, thinking about it for a minute. He was just about to answer, when the man behind the desk motioned for him to come closer.

"I'm sorry sir, but your wife is on the phone."

"My wife?" Rigsby asked, glancing at Van Pelt.

"The woman who came in with you earlier," the man reminded him.

"Ohhhhhh!" He took the phone from the desk clerk. "Hello? Yes, I know and I'm sorry dear, but something came up. What? I promise that I'll be back before midnight. Okay, okay. . . you too. See you soon."

"I don't envy you," the desk clerk said.

"You know something pal, I don't envy me either," Rigsby replied, wincing slightly as he looked in Van Pelt's direction.

"Good luck."

"Thanks, I'm going to need it."

"Is everything okay?" Van Pelt asked as he joined her again.

"Yes," Rigsby lied. "Come on, let's go somewhere and talk."

**.**

"Do you know how worried we were about you?" Rigsby asked after he had ordered them each a glass of wine and the bread basket.

"I know," Van Pelt answered quietly. "In my defense, I didn't remember anything for the first six years."

"So then, what happened? Where were you?"

"Well, I'm sure that you heard about the plane crash," Van Pelt began slowly.

"Who didn't?" Rigsby answered. "Dozens presumed dead, six injured, four missing, and one who got out without a scratch. It was brutal, we all sat around Jane and Lisbon's house for days, waiting for a shred of news about you . . . waiting for you to call. Everybody, _everybody_ was scared to death that we had really lost you. After a month, when no news whatsoever came, we realized it was time to face the worse, you were. . ."

"Oh Wayne!" Van Pelt burst out. "I am sorry that I put you all through that. It wasn't my intention to bring you pain! I woke up in a strange state, in a strange hospital. . . I couldn't even remember who I was. And when I finally did, I just couldn't call because it had been such a long time, and I didn't think that anybody would want to hear from me. It took me a year to work up the courage to even consider buying a ticket to come home."

"But how did you survive?"

"Turns out the one person who got out of the wreck without a scratch was a doctor," Van Pelt replied. "Talk about your miracles right?"

He shook his head. "Yeah, talk about your miracles . . ."

Van Pelt sighed. "I am sorry that it took me forever to get in touch with you."

Rigsby rubbed his temples wearily. "You've put me in a difficult position Grace. I got remarried today."

"I know," Van Pelt said. "Lisbon told me. . . couldn't you get it annulled?"

"Could I?"

"Do you still want to be with me?"

"Of course. . ."

"That wasn't very convincing Wayne."

"I do want to be with you!" Rigsby replied defensively. "I just don't know how I'm going to explain this whole situation to Bianca—"

"You'll just have to tell her the truth," Van Pelt said.

"Well, right now the truth seems stranger than fiction," Rigsby retorted. "I have no idea _how_ to tell her the truth!"

"It'll have to be direct, but gentle. Almost like when you're breaking the bad news of a murder to a victim's family."

He wrinkled his nose. "That's my least favorite part of working for the CBI though. Lisbon is infinitely better at breaking that kind of news to people. . ."

"No Wayne, you _cannot_ have Lisbon break the news to her for you," Van Pelt said. "What kind of man would that make you?"

Rigsby smirked. "A smart one."

"Either _you_ tell her, or I'll tell her for you Wayne!" Van Pelt replied.

"And how are you going to do that exactly?" He asked.

She hesitated, and then smiled sheepishly. "I don't know, but I'll think of something."

Rigsby softened and took Van Pelt's hands in his, squeezing them gently. "I missed you. . . so much."

"Yeah, I missed you too," Van Pelt replied quietly, smiling at him.

He hesitated for a second before he leaned across the table and gave her an awkward kiss on the mouth. He pulled away and smiled at her. "Come on, I'll check you into a room for the night."

"Thanks," Van Pelt said. "I'd appreciate that."

**.**

"Maybe you better leave," Van Pelt whispered, pushing Rigsby away slightly. "You're new bride is bound to be suspicious, you've been gone an awfully long time—"

"I thought you wanted me to break up with her," Rigsby replied, kissing her ear.

"I do!" Van Pelt said. "But I _don't_ want to her to catch us in something that looks like a tawdry affair! It would be embarrassing for all three of us!"

"So, what do you suggest I do then?" Rigsby asked, finally pulling away from her.

"I don't know. . ." she trailed off. "Can't you think of something?"

"I guess I can try," Rigsby said.

Van Pelt smiled at him and kissed his cheek. "Good, I'll see you later then. You have a good night."

"You too," he replied reluctantly as he stood and pulled his jacket on. "Goodnight Grace."

**.**

"Where were you?" Bianca asked as she opened the door and looked Rigsby up and down impatiently.

"I told you, something came up—"

"Don't tell me it was that Patrick and Kimball!"

"Well—" Rigsby hesitated.

Bianca stomped her foot. "Of course, _of course_ they would come all this way to prank you!"

"Really, they're more mature than that Bee—" he started.

She laughed incredulously. "Really?"

"Really!" He insisted.

"Well, if it wasn't Patrick and Kimball, then what was it? I'm your wife Wayne! I think you owe me an explanation!" Bianca whined.

"Well you see, it's like this. . ." Rigsby trailed off and then doubled over, clutching his stomach. "Oh gosh, my stomach is killing me! I think we should just go to bed and talk about it in the morning!"

"But Wayne, it's our wedding night!"

"I know! I know, and I'm sorry honey. . . but I think I ate something rotten at lunch this afternoon," he covered his mouth and faked a groan. "Oh, I think I'm going to throw up!"

"I'm going to call Teresa and Summer to see how Kimball and Cho are doing," Bianca said, fishing through her designer bag for her cell phone.

"No, no!" Rigsby protested. "I mean, Jane and Lisbon are probably getting the kids ready for bed. And knowing Cho, Summer, and their kids are probably already in bed. Besides, they didn't eat the same thing as me."

Bianca sighed in disappointment. "Okay. I'm a little tired, so I'm going to go to bed. Do you want to come with me, or are you going to stay here?"

"I'm. . . just going to stay here," Rigsby answered, closing his eyes.

"Okay," Bianca hesitated. "Call me if you need anything."

"You're too good to me."

"Yeah," she replied reluctantly, dropping a kiss on his forehead. "Love you."

Rigsby grunted in reply, and then guiltily added that he loved her too, before going to the couch and falling down onto it. The long day caught up with him all at once, and he fell asleep immediately.

**.**

"Of course he was happy to see me!" Van Pelt replied to Lisbon's question. "Why wouldn't he be? No, I didn't see Bianca. I'm sure she is, although it surprises me that he'd go with somebody like that, honestly my choice for him – if I had to choose anybody – would be Sarah. Yeah, well. . . I'm going to get some sleep, today has left me utterly exhausted. Please send my love to Jane and my kids. Thanks, I'll see you tomorrow. Okay, goodnight."

**.**

"And how is Van Pelt?" Jane asked as Lisbon hung up the phone and crawled into bed beside him.

"She's doing fine," Lisbon replied as she rested her head on his chest. "She saw Rigsby, and from the way she made it sound, things went pretty well between the two of them."

"But they're not together?"

"No," Lisbon said, shaking her head and stifling a yawn. "She thinks that Rigsby needs to tell Bianca what's going on."

"It is the only right thing to do," Jane said, sliding his hand through her hair and wrapping a strand around two of his fingers.

"Mmmh," Lisbon agreed. "Shhhh! I'm tired now, I want to sleep."

"One more thing," Jane murmured.

"What?"

"I love you," he whispered in her ear.

She smiled into his shoulder; she never got tired of hearing the phrase from his lips. "I love you too."

His lips found her's and he gave her a sleepy kiss on the lips. When they broke apart, he tucked her into his side and held onto her tightly, falling a little more in love with her as she drifted off to sleep in his arms. He couldn't believe that he had almost lost her. . .

**.**

"Hey!" Van Pelt said when Lisbon had opened the door for her later the next day. She held up the keys and smiled. "Thanks for letting me borrow the car; you'll never know how much I appreciate it!"

"I think I can guess," Lisbon replied. "Do you want to come in? Patrick took the kids to the grocery store to get popsicles and ice cream, but they should be back in a little bit, we'd love it if you'd stay for dinner."

Van Pelt hesitated. "I don't know if I should. . ."

"Come on Grace, I have plenty to eat and I'm sure that Patrick would love to see you again. If you're worried about Austin and Ella, I'll tell them that you're an old friend visiting from out of town."

"I'd love to stay," she finally said, smiling. "Thanks for the invitation Lisbon."

"No problem, come in. I have some coffee in the fridge for iced coffee, would you like some?"

Van Pelt nodded as she followed Lisbon to the kitchen. "Sure."

"Good! Because we need to talk, I want to know everything that's happened to you these past seven years," Lisbon said as she turned down the music she was listening to and went to the fridge to get the pitcher of coffee out.

She sighed. "I know, I know. And I promise, I'll tell you everything. . . but first, you tell me what's been going on with you these past seven years."

**TBC. . .**

**Author's Note:**

**Kind of hate this one. But what's to be done? Hope you'll tell me what **_**you**_** thought of it, even if you hated it. **

**Oh! And I **_**promise**_** that Jane and Lisbon and the big, secret story will be coming soon. It's my baby, and I'm just holding out on you. But I promise you'll love it in all its clichéd glory!**

**Holly, 3/29/1012_**


	4. Chapter 4 Awkward Situations and Stories

**Shout-Out: ****vanrigsby, and AngryLittlePrincess. Thanks for the review girls!**

**Chapter 4**

"Grace!" Jane said, dropping the bag he was carrying on the counter, stealing a glance in Lisbon's direction. "What are you doing here?"

"Hello to you too," Van Pelt answered, taking a sip of her iced coffee.

"I'm sorry," Jane replied. "Grace! Hello, it's _so_ good to see you again. Do you have any idea how worried we were about you?"

Van Pelt nodded. "Everybody keeps telling me."

"So, where were you then?" He asked.

"It's a long story darling, she'll tell you all about it later," Lisbon said coming over and giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek before putting the ice cream and popsicles away in the freezer. "Where's Austin and Ella?"

"Out on the porch," Jane replied. "I got them some bubbles while we were shopping and they couldn't wait to try them out."

"Oh," Lisbon said.

Jane looked at Van Pelt. "You can go and see them if you'd like."

"Really?"

"There your children," Lisbon answered, a hint of laughter in her voice.

Van Pelt nodded and got to her feet. "Okay, I'll be back soon. Thanks guys."

**.**

"It's too bad that Uncle Patrick is too old to have kids of his own," Ella said as she dipped her wand into the bubble solution. "He'd make such a great dad."

Austin nodded his agreement, absent-mindedly watching the bubbles float away. "Well, it's his own fault. He should have gotten together with Aunt Teresa sooner than he did."

Van Pelt could barely conceal her smile as she watched her children interacting with each other. She felt a pang in her heart as it hit her just how much she had missed out on in her absence. But she couldn't dwell on the past anymore, most of the things that had happened the past seven years hadn't even been her fault.

She took a deep breath and stepped out of her hiding place.

"Hi guys," she said tentatively.

Ella looked up. "You look familiar, who are you?"

Van Pelt's heart squeezed just a little bit. "I'm Ariel; I'm an old friend of Jane and Lisbon's."

"Yeah, you're in their wedding pictures," Ella said, abandoning her bubbles. "But you were pregnant then."

"I was," Van Pelt replied, smiling a little bit.

Ella narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You're standing awfully close to my father in those pictures."

"He was an old friend too in those days," Van Pelt lied easily.

"So, where was my mom in those pictures?" She challenged.

Van Pelt sighed wearily, wracking her brains to somehow explain that particular observation to the inquisitive girl in front of her. Thankfully, she was saved by Jane coming out to tell them that dinner was ready.

**.**

They were half-way through dinner when there was a knock at the door. Jane excused himself and went off to answer it. A couple of minutes later, he was leading Rigsby and Bianca into the dining room.

"Hey!" Lisbon said, getting to her feet. "You guys weren't supposed to be here until tomorrow night."

"Yeah, well Wayne was worried about the kids," Bianca said with false cheerfulness.

"The kids are fine Rigsby," Jane said, twirling some pasta around his fork as he eyed him carefully. "You know that Lisbon and I always take good care of them when they stay with us."

"I tried to tell him that," Bianca replied irritably. "But no, he _insisted _that we come home early."

"You guys look hungry," Lisbon interjected, trying to break some of the tension. "How about I get you two some dinner?"

"Dinner would be nice," Bianca answered as she landed in a chair and closed her eyes dramatically.

Van Pelt could scarcely suppress an eye roll at the other woman's theatrics. She took a sip of wine and prayed for the strength to hold her tongue, she was so afraid that she was going to say something that she regretted.

Bianca opened an eye and looked at her suspiciously. "And who are you?"

"Ariel Reede," Van Pelt replied. "I'm an old friend of Teresa and Patrick's."

"I'm Bianca Wordsworth Rigsby," she said. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You too," Van Pelt lied, taking a larger gulp of wine.

"Cho and Summer are coming over for dessert," Lisbon said as she set a plate down in front of Rigsby. "I called them this afternoon and told them that _Ariel_ was in town. Cho was so anxious to see her that I couldn't resist inviting them over. I hope that's okay with you guys."

Rigsby nodded and took a sip of wine, suddenly feeling extremely uncomfortable.

**.**

"So," Van Pelt said addressing Bianca as they settled in the den with chocolate cake. "How did you and Wayne meet exactly?"

"My best friend's husband had been murdered, and he was working the case," Bianca answered, swallowing the miniscule bite she had taken. "I found him incredibly attractive, so I did everything I could to find out his marital status, when I found out that he was single, I asked him out. The rest, as they say, is history."

"Wonderful story," Van Pelt said through clenched teeth.

Bianca laughed. "Actually, it's quite boring. The story I want to know is how Teresa and Patrick got together, everybody's always talking about it but nobody seems to ever know the details."

"Because, the details are something that we'd like to forget," Jane said dryly.

"Oh come on, _tell_!" Bianca whined, leaning forward. "It could be your wedding present to me."

Cho, Rigsby, Van Pelt, and Summer all leaned forward as well. They didn't even know the details behind the way their team leader and consultant had gotten together. And they were extremely curious about it.

Jane glanced at Ella and Austin, who were sitting with Cho and Summer's kids playing _Memory_. "It isn't a story that kids should hear."

"Kids, why don't you go in the other room and watch some television?" Rigsby suggested, smirking at Jane.

"Can we?" Ella asked, glancing at Jane for his permission.

"You can't get out of it now," Lisbon said, smiling at him.

"Fine! _Fine_!" Jane replied. "But I'm telling the story without any interruptions from anybody! And that especially goes for _you _woman."

"Hey!" Lisbon said, raising her hands slightly. "If you want to tell the story, feel free to tell it. Who am I to stop you?"

Jane nodded in satisfaction and waited until Ella, Austin, Kimball Jr, Meg, and Willow were all out of the earshot before starting the story.

**.**

_Eleven Years Earlier:_

"Hey Jane," Lisbon said, kicking his couch impatiently. "Wake up!"

"I wasn't sleeping," Jane answered, sitting up and stretching. "What's up? Do we have a case?"

"No," she replied, shaking her head. "But you're coming home with me."

"It's only three 'o clock in the afternoon though," Jane protested. "There's at least three hours left before we can leave for the day."

"It's okay," Lisbon assured him. "Wainwright gave me the okay to leave a little early."

"But _why_?" He asked.

"Don't ask _why_," Lisbon said. "When your boss gives you the rest of the afternoon off from work, you don't ask questions, you just grab your stuff and run."

"Who are you and what have you done with Teresa Lisbon?" Jane teased.

"Come on Jane!" She pleaded.

"No really, are you sick?" He pushed.

Lisbon sighed. "I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. Are you done your teasing? I'd really like to get home before I die of old age."

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Jane said, putting his suit jacket on. "Would you just relax for once in your life?"

"I _am_ relaxed!" Lisbon snapped.

He followed her to the elevator. "I'll take your word for it then."

"Good," she said, pushing the button for the lobby.

**.**

Lisbon sighed as she opened the door and threw her keys down. "Home sweet home."

"What do you want to do now?" Jane asked. "Do you have Scrabble?"

She shook her head, and went over to her stereo system, she flipped through her stack of CDs, and slipped a disc into the player. _Crash Into Me _started to play as pulled her hair out and slowly started to approach him. "Sorry, but I don't have Scrabble."

"I could go make something to eat. . . if you're hungry," Jane said, backing up slightly.

"I'm not very hungry right now," Lisbon replied, her voice trembling slightly as she reached out and ran her hand down his vest.

"What are you doing?" He asked as her lips found his and she kissed him tenderly.

"Kissing you," she answered, pulling away slightly. "I hope that's okay."

Jane's breath hitched in his throat as he nodded and whispered, "it's fine. . ."

"Maybe you could kiss me back?"

He nodded again as he closed his eyes, putting his arms around her and holding onto her tightly. His breathing matched her's as their lips collided.

**.**

"Why now?" Jane asked later on as they ate ice cream leaning up against the cabinets in Lisbon's kitchens.

"Why now what?" Lisbon replied, stealing a spoonful of Jane's chocolate ice cream.

"Why did you wait until this afternoon to. . ." Jane trailed off, looking for the right words to use. "Act out on your feelings for me?"

"I thought now was as good a time as ever," Lisbon answered, almost uncomfortably.

"But why—"

Lisbon didn't have time to answer him, because her phone started to ring. She glanced at the caller ID and winced. "Hold on a second Patrick, I have to get this."

"I'll be right here waiting for you," Jane replied.

She laughed, got to her feet, and flipped her phone open. "Hello? Oh it's you Cho. . . no, he's still with me. You did? Well, that's good then. No, I'll talk to him. Okay, you have a good night. 'Bye."

"What's going on?" Jane asked, looking at Lisbon.

"Please don't hate me," Lisbon said quickly.

Jane shook his head. "I could never—"

"Red John's dead!" She blurted out.

"_What!" _Jane asked incredulously.

"Red John is dead," she repeated slowly. "The rest of the team found him earlier this afternoon—"

"But I don't understand," Jane said.

"We've been tracking down leads for a while now," Lisbon explained as she sat down beside him again. "We finally got a huge lead on him this morning. . ."

"I can't believe that I didn't know you were looking for him," Jane said.

"I didn't want you to know!" Lisbon replied. "Jane, you don't understand. If you had known, and if you had been there when we found him. I couldn't live with it. . . I couldn't live without _you_."

"What did you just say?" Jane asked a little breathlessly.

Lisbon blushed, realizing that she had said a little too much. But it was too late to turn back, he had heard her. "I said that I couldn't live without you."

"So, you were so sure of my decision, that you couldn't let me choose for myself?"

"It's all that you've talked about for the past nine years," Lisbon said. "Don't blame me, please don't blame me."

"I have to go."

Lisbon nodded. "I-I understand."

"Do you?"

"I'll see you later," she replied, ducking her head so he wouldn't see how embarrassed she was.

**.**

Jane was almost on the highway when he started to think logically again, and his anger towards Lisbon all melted away. He pulled off to the side of the road and sighed as he rested his forehead on the steering wheel. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that inspite of his feelings, she hadn't really taken anything away from him. Like always, she was just doing what she thought was best for him.

He didn't exactly have to like it.

But he couldn't punish her because of it either.

He remembered the way she felt in his arms, the way her lips felt beneath his, the way she looked after giving into her own feelings for him after years of waiting.

No, he couldn't just leave her. Not if it meant that _he_ had to spend the rest of his life without her.

He put the car into gear and turned around, breaking almost every speed limit to get back to her.

When he reached her apartment, he barely remembered to stop his car before tearing out of it and rushing to her doorstep.

She opened the door after one knock, looking like a forlorn child with her hair wet around her cheeks and her face void of the little makeup that she usually wore. Her eyes were sad and he could tell that he had broken her heart a tiny bit.

"I thought you had left," Lisbon said hollowly, forcing herself to look at him.

"I did, but I had barely gotten away when I realized something," he replied. "I shouldn't have walked out on you like that. It was wrong of me, you didn't do anything wrong. I know that you were just trying to protect me. . . to protect _us_—"

"How do you know I was trying to protect _us_?" Lisbon asked. "There is no us in Patrick and Teresa—"

"There's always been an us," Jane said as he tucked a strand of damp hair behind her ear. "We both know it, and there's no use in denying it anymore. Not after this afternoon."

"You're—" She closed her eyes against his touch and took a deep shuddery breath. "You're not angry with me?"

"I was," Jane admitted. "But then I couldn't be. I'm sorry for walking out on you. We're two mature adults, most of the time. We should have talked about it."

"Does that mean you forgive me?" Lisbon asked.

"There's nothing to forgive," Jane answered, cupping her cheeks in his hands and staring into her eyes. "I also realized that you were only doing what you thought was best. Maybe if I had the chance, I would have cut him to pieces. And if I did, I wouldn't get the chance to say what I've needed to say for the past eight years."

"What?" She asked breathlessly.

"I love you," Jane answered, before covering her mouth with his.

**.**

_Present Day_

"I can't believe that it took you guys nine years to get together," Summer said, taking another piece of cake as Jane finished the story. "It only took Kimball and I a month to get together after we met."

"You guys sure are an interesting bunch," Bianca added condescendingly. "Patrick fell in love with his boss, Kimball fell in love with a hooker—"

"You're part of it babe," Van Pelt said, cutting her off. "Wayne probably questioned you when he was investigating the murder of your best friend's husband."

She colored. "That's beside the point."

"No," Van Pelt said sweetly. "It really isn't."

**TBC. . .**

**.**

**Author's Note:**

**Well, there you have it. . . the way Jane and Lisbon got together. It didn't exactly go the way that I wanted it to, because I don't write M scenes on principal. But I was aiming for Lisbon to seduce him. I'm sorry the ending was a little abrupt, and that there wasn't more about Van Pelt/Rigsby/Bianca, but there's going to be. I promise. **

**Couple more notes, I wrote this chapter to "Crash Into Me" and "You and Me" by the Dave Matthews Band. They fit Jane and Lisbon's story, for me. And I took Van Pelt's fake names from roles Amanda Righetti played.**

**Please drop a review.**

**Love you!**

**Holly, 3/29/1012_**


	5. Chapter 5 Figuring

**Shout-Outs: ****colours and carouseles, Shane-jisbon (for chapter 1), LAurore, chymom, Dreamingofabetterday, and AngryLittlePrincess. You guys are the bomb, thank you so much for the reviews. **

**.**

**Chapter 5**

"So, what are you going to do?" Cho asked Van Pelt once Rigsby, Bianca, and the kids had left for the evening.

"What do you mean what am I going to do?" Van Pelt replied. "I've already done something; I told Wayne that I was alive. The ball is in his court now, he's the one who has to tell Bianca that I still exist, he's the one who has to get the annulment, there's nothing left for me to do."

"The fact of the matter is, it takes him a little while to do these things," Jane said. "He's probably afraid that he's going to hurt Bianca's feelings."

"What feelings?" Van Pelt asked resentfully.

"Now Grace, be fair!" Summer said. "I'm sure that she has some feelings in her. She seems to genuinely love Wayne. . ."

"Maybe," Van Pelt replied thoughtfully. "I mean a woman like her wouldn't marry a man like Wayne unless she really loved him. Unless she was pregnant. . . oh, please don't tell me that she's pregnant!"

"She's _not_ pregnant," Jane assured her.

"But you have to agree with me Jane, women like Bianca usually only marry men who wear Armani suits, drive sports cars, have box seats to the opera, and bring in six-figure salaries."

"And you know this. . . how?" Lisbon asked as she gathered up the dirty dessert dishes.

"Oh come on, we've interrogated her type dozens of times over the years," Van Pelt said. "And don't pretend you're on her side. You don't like her anymore than she likes you."

"That's beside the point," Lisbon said. "You can't make quick judgments about a person you don't even know."

"Jane gets to do it all the time!" Van Pelt pointed out.

"It's what he gets paid to do," Lisbon reminded her.

"But I'm right; she isn't the type to marry a federal agent!" Van Pelt replied stubbornly. "She isn't the type to just _elope_ with a federal agent, and then go on a honeymoon in Vegas. Or come back a day later from said honeymoon."

"I wasn't saying that you were wrong," Lisbon said soothingly. "I just think you should be careful in the way you judge somebody. Especially until you really get to know them."

"Basic knowledge any good agent should know," Cho added.

Van Pelt sighed in frustration. "I _know_, but I hate the fact that she's with _my_ husband right now. I haven't seen him in seven years, I haven't gotten to touch him in seven years and she's doing all those things right now."

"Don't worry Grace," Jane said. "Rigsby will stay faithful to you."

"But how do I know he has been these past seven years?"

"Oh please," Jane scoffed. "He has two kids, whenever he went out on a date with Bianca, Lisbon and I would always go to your house to baby-sit and he was always home before eleven. If that's not a man staying faithful to his dead wife, than show me somebody who is."

"Well—" Summer started.

Jane held up his hand to stop her. "And I don't want anybody to mention _my_ name again! _Please_!"

"You know Bianca doesn't like Lisbon very much?" Van Pelt said again.

"How did you come to that conclusion?" Lisbon asked.

"Anybody could tell from the way that she looks at you," Jane replied. "She doesn't think that you're good enough for me."

Lisbon rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I get that a lot."

"It's only because she doesn't know the full story though," Jane told her.

"Even if she did know the full story, she wouldn't like Lisbon anymore," Cho pointed out. "In Bianca's mind, you're Adonises and Lisbon is—"

"That's enough!" Lisbon interjected. "When did this conversation turn into something about how I'm somehow not good enough for Jane? We're supposed to find a way to get Grace and Rigsby back together—"

"Teresa, my darling if it's any consolation, _I_ believe you're a great deal too good for me. You saved me from a fate worse than death."

Lisbon blushed. "Oh hush!"

Jane just smiled and winked at her as she passed him to go into the kitchen.

"Oh you guys are so cute!" Summer squealed.

"Not as cute as you though," Jane complimented with a cheeky smile.

This time it was Summer's turn to blush.

"If you'd excuse me, I'm going to help my wife out in the kitchen," Jane said.

"And we should get the kids home. It _is _a school night," Cho replied. "It's a school night. It's good to see you again Van Pelt."

"We're glad you're home safely," Summer added, reaching over and squeezing Van Pelt's hand.

Van Pelt sighed. "Yeah, I wish I could say the same thing."

"It's all going to work out in the end Grace!" Jane called from the kitchen. "You'll see."

"Jane usually knows what he's talking about," Cho said with a wry smile.

"Always Kimball!" Jane called again. "I _always_ know what I'm talking about!"

Summer laughed.

"Okay," Cho said dryly. "Jane _always_ knows what he's talking about."

"Don't despair Grace, it'll all work out in the end!" Summer said a little more encouraging than her husband was. "We all know that Wayne loves you, and that he has since the first moment that he met you."

Van Pelt knew this was all true, but she still couldn't help not looking on the bright side of things, especially when Rigsby found out the secrets that she was_ still_ hiding.

**.**

She watched from the dark hallway as Lisbon tried to finish loading the dishwasher and Jane tried to pull the dishes out of her hands. Finally after a few minutes of fighting off, she succumbed to her husband's advances and allowed him to put the wine glass she was holding on the counter.

Smiling, Jane went to the stereo player and pressed play, _Harvest Moon _started to play as he went to dim the lights before going over to Lisbon and taking her hand in his.

She felt her heart break a little bit as Jane took Lisbon in his arms and started to dance with her, his movements getting slower with every step. Soon, they were standing in the middle of the kitchen just swaying to the rhythm of the music. Her head was resting on his shoulder, and his hand had found its way underneath her sweater.

Watching them made her long for Rigsby even more. He never did anything wildly romantic like dim the lights and slow dance with her when she was supposed to be cleaning the kitchen, but he had cleaned the kitchen for her. Which was something no woman in her right mind would ever blow off.

Besides, Jane had always had to find ways to show Lisbon that she was the one he truly cared about, even when he hadn't known how he felt about her.

She forced herself to turn away from the scene and go to her guest room. She had been watching them since she joined their team, they needed their privacy. Besides, watching them and how much they loved each other only made her feel a million times worse about her situation with Rigsby.

**.**

"Patrick, _stop_ it!" Lisbon ordered the next morning. "I'm dead serious, if you don't stop now, I'll put you on stakeout duty for a month. . . with _Cho_—"

"You wouldn't dare," Jane replied, laughter in his voice.

"If you don't stop, I'm never going to get breakfast ready on time—"

"Then we'll go out to eat," he said.

Van Pelt came into the kitchen to find Lisbon pressed up against the counter, wrapped up in Jane's arms with his mouth covering her's.

She blushed. "Oh, I'm sorry. . . I didn't know—"

Lisbon blushed as well, wiggling out of Jane's arms. "It's fine. We were just making breakfast."

"She was _trying _to make breakfast," Jane said, holding on to her tightly. "I was trying to distract her."

"If you guys want to be alone. . ."

"No! No!" Lisbon said. "You're a guest, and I always make sure that guests have breakfast. In fact, it's almost ready. I just have to take it out of the oven."

"I can get it," Van Pelt replied. "I do remember where the oven mitts are."

"Do that," Jane answered, kissing Lisbon again.

"Jane!" She hissed. "Not in front of Van Pelt, _please_!"

"What? It's not anything she hasn't seen outside of the romantic comedies and television shows you two are so crazy about."

"By all means please pretend that I'm _not_ here," Van Pelt said, as she dumped a pan of blueberry muffins on the counter.

"Jane," Lisbon whispered.

"Okay," Jane agreed, releasing her.

Lisbon went over to Van Pelt and put her hand on the girl's shoulder. "Come on, just do something about it. Or you might regret it for the rest of your life."

"I still don't know what to do though," Van Pelt said quietly.

Lisbon looked over at Jane helplessly.

"Well," Jane said. "You could always start out by talking to him again."

"Here's a thought," Lisbon added. "Come and get him for lunch, take him to a place that you both love, and just lay it all out for him."

"Like you did with Jane?" Van Pelt asked almost teasingly, almost sarcastically.

"Well, maybe you can do a little more talking than I did," Lisbon answered, smiling at the girl.

Van Pelt sighed. "Okay, I'll try. But I'm going to need a lot of food."

"Then consider our kitchen, your kitchen," Jane said. "But just for today."

Lisbon glanced at her watch as she went over to the coffeemaker to pour herself more coffee. "We have to get to work Patrick, or we'll be late. Sorry that you'll have to eat breakfast alone this morning."

Jane grabbed a couple of muffins and smiled encouragingly at Van Pelt. "We'll see you at lunchtime. Remember, dear, to think positively. I promise that I know it'll all work out in the end. And I'm never wrong; if I were wrong then I wouldn't have a job."

"Well, there was that one time—" Lisbon started to remind him.

"We said that we'd never speak of that," Jane said.

Lisbon laughed and took his hand, squeezing it affectionately. "Van Pelt, the keys to my car are near the door. Feel free to use them today, okay?"

Van Pelt nodded, smiling slightly. "Okay, thanks."

"And call if you need anything—"

"Teresa, we're going to be late for work," Jane said, literally dragging her to the door. "Grace is a big girl, she can take care of herself."

When Van Pelt was finally alone, she ate her breakfast quickly, and then started to prepare for her lunch with Rigsby.

**TBC. . .**

**Author's Note:**

**The next chapter will be almost completely Van Pelt/Rigsby-centric. The couple will talk, and a huge secret on Van Pelt's side will be revealed. Yeah, it'll be great. . . hope you'll tune in. **

**In the meantime, feel free to drop a review for this chapter. Feedback is love.**

**Love you,**

**Holly, 4/2/1012_**


	6. Chapter 6 An Afternoon With Grace

**Shout-Outs: ****vanrigsby (for chapter 4 and 5), and AngryLittlePrincess**

**.**

**Chapter 6**

"Hey Boss," Rigsby said, sticking his head into Lisbon's office. "Grace is here to pick me up for lunch. Is it okay if I leave a little early?"

Lisbon smiled at Jane before turning back to the younger agent. "I don't mind in the least. Go on and enjoy yourself."

"Thanks," Rigsby replied. "I'll be back later."

"I hope this works," Lisbon commented as she put her laptop down.

"It'll work," Jane assured her as he got to his feet and pulled her off her chair, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I can't promise that it'll work right away, but it'll work. Now, about you and I leave a little early for lunch? We could go home, put on some music, make a little lunch, and then—"

Lisbon laughed "As tempting as that sounds, I think we'll just have sandwiches on the roof. You know what happens when we go home for lunch."

"What?" Jane asked.

"We never come back into work," Lisbon answered.

"So, what's wrong with that?"

"Not today Patrick," she replied, stealing a quick kiss. "But that doesn't mean I don't want to have lunch with you."

Jane grinned. "I'll take it."

Lisbon grinned back. "Good, because you really have no other choice."

"Excuse me? Are you Agent Lisbon?" A man interrupted them, knocking as he entered her office.

Lisbon blushed and quickly pushed Jane away from her. "Yes, how can I help you?"

"I'm looking for somebody," he answered. "Maybe you could tell me where I could find them?"

She observed the man who had invaded her office with a critical eye. He was tall with a charming smile and hair that was black, mixed with flecks of silver.

"It depends," she answered after a while. "Who are you looking for?"

"Grace Van Pelt," he replied. "This is the California Bureau of Investigation, right?"

"Yes," Lisbon said.

"Could you please tell me where I could reach her?"

"It depends, who are you?"

"My name is Stephen Burkett. I'm the doctor that rescued Grace," he answered. "I also put her on the plane a few days ago. She told me that she'd call when she arrived here, but she never did. I was worried about her."

"Grace isn't here right now," Lisbon said, looking at Jane. "I'm sorry. Maybe you could come back later though."

Dr. Burkett's face fell. "Oh. Well, isn't there any other way I could reach her?"

"Not right now," Jane answered for Lisbon. "I'm afraid that she's busy right now. So, you're going to have to come back later, or we'll have her call you."

"Fine," Dr. Burkett said. "Just tell her I stopped by, she knows how to reach me. I'm sorry that I wasted your valuable time."

"My dear," Jane addressed Lisbon as they watched the doctor walk away. "I think that trouble just walked in."

"How cliché," Lisbon groused. "Care to explain how trouble just walked in?"

"I can't quite say yet," Jane replied. "But I definitely don't have a good feeling about it."

"Well, it's good to know you go by feelings," Lisbon teased. "Now come with me, I need to go and question a suspect before lunch."

**.**

"Where are we going?" Rigsby asked as Van Pelt drove along the back roads.

"It's a surprise," Van Pelt answered, smiling at him and taking her hand off the wheel to thread her fingers through his.

"This isn't the part of the film where you take me into the woods and kill me? Is it?"

"No!" Van Pelt laughed. "Don't be silly."

"Well. . ."

"Shhhh! Just be quiet and enjoy the ride, we'll be there soon enough."

Twenty minutes later, they were pulling into a state park. Rigsby's eyes widened as he turned to look at Van Pelt.

"This was our favorite place to go on picnics when we were dating."

"Yeah," Van Pelt said parking and getting out of the car. She opened the back seat door and grabbed the picnic basket she had packed. "Come on, I have all your favorites."

"Here let me take that," Rigsby said, reaching for the picnic basket after he had joined her.

"Thanks," Van Pelt replied, with a shy smile.

The park was relatively empty because it was a school and work day, so they found a picnic bench by the lake without any problem.

Van Pelt spread out a pretty tablecloth that she had found in Lisbon's linen closet and then, she started to take out the food she had made. Finally, she took her iPod out and speakers, setting them up on the edge of the table. She pressed play and the song they had danced to at their wedding came on.

She turned to him and smiled uncertainly. "I know this sounds a little weird, but would you like to dance?"

"Um. . . sure," Rigsby answered, taking her hand and pulling her closer. They swayed together, the only sounds coming from the music, the birds, and the lake behind them.

And Van Pelt murmured the words of their song in his ear. "_I'm keeping you forever and for always, we will be together all of our days, want to wake up every morning to your sweet face. . . always_."

"Grace," Rigsby whispered, pulling away slightly and studying her eyes. "I still love you."

"Then why haven't you told Bianca that I'm still alive?" She whispered back.

"I still haven't found the right opportunity to do it," Rigsby said. "But I'm looking for one, I really am."

Van Pelt stopped dancing. "Come on, let's just eat. You're going to have to get back to work soon."

"You're angry with me," Rigsby observed.

"No," Van Pelt answered. "No, not at all."

"Are you sure?" Rigsby asked.

"Of course I am—"

She was cut off by Rigsby pulling her into his arms again and kissing her. She hesitated a minute, before wrapping her arms around his neck and returning it with more fervor than she knew that she possessed. She pulled away and caught her breath.

"Sorry," Rigsby said awkwardly.

"Don't be," Van Pelt replied, her cheeks coloring slightly. "Come on, let's just eat. We can talk later."

"We should talk now," Rigsby answered. "Because if we don't, we're just going to avoid the subject forever."

Van Pelt sighed. "But I have nothing to talk about. Really, all I wanted was to be with you today."

"Me too," Rigsby agreed.

"Do you love Bianca?" Van Pelt asked suddenly.

"In a way I do," he answered. "But not like I loved you, not like I love you. I probably don't even love her the way that Jane loves Lisbon."

"I don't think there's a widower around who loves his second wife the way that Jane loves Lisbon," Van Pelt replied, smiling. "She was his savior. Was Bianca your savior?"

"My distraction," Rigsby answered.

Her smile grew a little wider. "That's a verb, not a noun."

"Your point being?"

She shook her head and took a handful of barbeque potato chips. "There is no point, really. But being a savior is definitely better than being a distraction."

"So, what did you make?" Rigsby asked, deciding a change of subject was in order.

"All your favorites," Van Pelt replied, sitting down. "Well, at least I tried to make all your favorites. I'm afraid that you're going to have to settle for tuna fish sandwiches though."

"It's fine," Rigsby said. "As long as I get to eat lunch with you."

Van Pelt smiled and looked down at her hands.

**.**

"So, you'll talk to her tonight then?" Van Pelt double-checked as she dropped Rigsby off in front of the CBI.

"I'll try," Rigsby promised.

"Okay then, I'll see you later."

They looked at each other almost awkwardly, and then Rigsby leaned over to give Van Pelt a chaste kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks for this afternoon sweetie," he said as he unbuckled and got out of the car. "I really appreciated it."

"No problem," Van Pelt replied. "Thanks for coming out with me."

"Anytime."

"There you are! I've been worried about you!"

Both Rigsby and Van Pelt turned to look at the person who was approaching them.

Van Pelt's stomach sank. "Steve, what are you doing here?"

"Steve?" Rigsby asked, looking between Van Pelt and the good-looking man. "Who exactly is _Steve_!"

**Author's Note:**

**Oooooh. So, I'm mean because I left a cliff-hanger (ducks Easter eggs and fake grass). I bet that you're all wondering who Steve/Stephen Burkett is. All in good time my friends, all in good time. I'm not **_**that**_** mean. Blueberry muffins to anybody who actually thinks they know who Dr. Stephen Burkett is.**

**Please review.**

**And wish me luck. I'm a glutton for punishment, so I just signed up for a new challenge on LJ. It's the Reverse Big Bang (or as my youngest sister calls it, the Bang Big.) Gotta come up with two fanmixes! I have some ideas, but I'd like it if Inspiration was in the mood to strike a little harder than she is.**

**Love,**

**Holly, 4/2/1012_**


	7. Chapter 7 Dr Stephen Burkett

**Shout-Outs: ****AngryLittlePrincess, and Shane-jisbon thank you for the reviews. I appreciated them very much.**

**.**

**Chapter 7**

"This is Doctor Stephen Burkett," Van Pelt answered Rigsby. "The man who saved my life."

Appreciation for the man standing in front of him spread over Rigsby's face, and he held out his hand for him to shake it.

"Wayne Rigsby," he said. "Grace's husband, thank you so much for getting her back to us safely. Even if it is six years later."

"I was only doing what any good doctor would do," Steve said with a shrug as he shook the agent's hand. "Really."

"Still, _thank you_," Rigsby replied, with a smile before he turned to Van Pelt. "And thank you for lunch sweetheart, I really enjoyed myself this afternoon."

"I had fun too," Van Pelt said with a small smile, pressing a quick kiss on his cheek. "I'll see you later, go now. . . catch some bad guys. Tell Lisbon and Jane that I said hello, and that I'll see them later."

Rigsby nodded, squeezing her hand before disappearing into the building.

Van Pelt waited until Rigsby was gone before turning to look at Steve.

"What are you doing here?"

"You didn't call," Steve answered.

"Things have been kind of different around here," Van Pelt replied. "I couldn't call you, I haven't had a spare minute since I landed in Sacramento. Wayne got remarried you see and-"

"Your husband got remarried? Does that mean we can get back together?" Steve asked teasingly.

Grace sighed. "Steve, Wayne technically isn't married to his new wife. Bigamy is against the law in Sacramento."

"And that by the book cop you told me about hasn't arrested him yet?" Steve said.

"Lisbon has no reason to arrest him," Van Pelt replied. "He's trying to get out of his marriage with her."

Steve took a deep breath. "The truth is Grace, I miss us."

"Oh Steve, we were over last year. It's time to put _us_ in the past and move on. You'll never be happy until you do."

"So, whatever we had up until last year was a lie then?"

Van Pelt hesitated. "Of course not. . . well, maybe a little bit. I'm not sure of anything right now Steve. Everything seems so surreal."

Steve lay a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Well, I'm here and I'm listening. Just like I have been for the past six years. Talk to me Grace, I want to help you."

**.**

"Is he still out there?" Jane asked.

"Yes," Lisbon answered as she joined her husband again at the table. "So, any hunches at all to what Dr. Burkett is doing here?"

"A few," Jane replied, taking a sip of his tea and smiling at his wife. "One being he's the doctor who saved her life."

"But that was six years ago."

"Ah, but maybe his saving her life wasn't the end of _their_ story," Jane said.

"Okay," Lisbon answered. "I'll bite, what's that supposed to mean?"

"I think he took her home after she recovered enough from her accident, and that Dr. Burkett and Agent Van Pelt-Rigsby fell into passionate love. . . and then, Grace got her memories back and broke it off with him."

"You know what I don't get," Lisbon said. "She must have had some kind of ID on her, and still it took her six years to get home to us."

Jane shrugged. "Maybe she didn't have it on her. It could have been in her carry-on bag, which could have been lost when the plane crashed."

Their conversation was cut short a few seconds later by Rigsby joining them.

"How'd it go?" Jane asked.

"Pretty well," he answered. "Hey Jane, do you have any idea who this Steve Burkett guy is?"

"I'm still trying to figure it out," Jane replied. "_Who_ do you think he is?"

"_Jane_," Lisbon said.

"I'm not trying to cause any trouble. I just want to know what Rigsby's thinking about him."

Rigsby hesitated, not wanting to say anything bad about his wife or the doctor who had saved her life.

"Go on Rigsby," Lisbon urged. "If you feel like you need to say anything, say it."

"I didn't like the way Dr. Burkett was looking at Grace," he said finally.

"Understandable."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Rigsby asked, looking at Jane sharply.

"_Nothing_," Jane answered innocently.

"You know something!"

"We don't _know_ anything," Lisbon answered. "It's just assumptions."

"But Jane's assumptions are usually right!" Rigsby retorted.

"Calm down Rigs," Lisbon soothed. "It'll be okay."

"I am calm. . . I'm just worried—"

"That Grace will want a divorce and that you'll be married to Bianca the rest of your life?" Jane asked.

"Bianca isn't that bad," Rigsby said.

Lisbon and Jane exchanged looks, but refrained from saying anything about Rigsby's current life partner. He hadn't listened to them in the beginning, and it seemed that even though Van Pelt was back, he still had rose-colored glasses on where Bianca Wordsworth was concerned.

"Daddy!" Ella called, running off the elevator and flinging herself into Rigsby's arms.

"Sorry for interrupting you at work darling," Bianca said, pushing her sunglasses up on her head and adjusting her oversized purse. "But the kids were dying to see you."

"Oh, it's fine!" Rigsby said, pulling Ella into his lap and smiling up at Bianca. "It's always a pleasure to see you guys early."

"Hey Aunt Teresa, Uncle Patrick!" Ella said, smiling at them cheekily.

"Hi!" Lisbon waved. "Where's Austin?"

"Austin decided that he wanted to stay downstairs and hang out with Cho," Bianca replied as she took an empty seat.

The atmosphere had suddenly grown awkward, Jane got to his feet and smiled tensely. "Does anybody want coffee or anything? My treat."

"Can I have some ice cream?" Ella asked.

"_May_ I," Bianca reminded her.

Ella rolled her eyes. "_May _I have some ice cream?"

"Only a little bit," Rigsby answered. "If it's okay with you Jane."

"Ice cream for Ella," Jane replied, looking at Bianca. "And what about you?"

"Black coffee with half a package of Splenda," she replied.

"Teresa?" Jane asked. "More ice cream? Or would you just prefer some coffee this time?"

"I'm good," Lisbon said. "We have dinner with James tonight at one of those fancy restaurants that he's so obsessed with, and you know it hurts his feelings when we don't show up with full appetites."

"So, just the coffee and the ice cream then?" Jane asked.

"Well, maybe we should skip the ice cream. . ." Rigsby said tentatively. "We actually have dinner at Bianca's parents' house in forty-five minutes and Lucinda hates when we feed the kids beforehand. She says that it's a waste of food and money."

Ella's face fell.

"Okay then, just the coffee," Jane said. "I'll be right back."

Lisbon craned her neck to see if Van Pelt and Steve were still around, but both the red head and the doctor had disappeared. She turned back to Rigsby and Bianca. "So, dinner with the in-laws that should be pretty _interesting_."

"Dinner with my parents is always enjoyable," Bianca said smugly.

Lisbon groaned, ready to take matters into her own hands and just tell Bianca what was what. But Jane returned before she could say anything. She sighed and got to her feet.

"Well, Jane and I should be going now. We have an hour before our dinner, and it takes forty-five minutes to get to the restaurant we're meeting my brother at. We'll see you two later."

"Have a nice time tonight," Rigsby replied.

"You too," Lisbon said with a thin smile, wishing that Rigsby was a mind-reader so she could tell him to hurry up and tell Bianca that Van Pelt was still alive. The whole situation was becoming very tiresome indeed, and the sooner the truth was out, the better.

**TBC. . .**

**.**

**Author's Note:**

**This chapter didn't go exactly the way that I planned. But things came up on Tuesday, which inevitably made me EXAUSTED yesterday. I literally looked and felt like a zombie, and my Muse was asleep. . . so, sorry for not updating sooner, and sorry for the poor quality of this chapter. I promise that things will pick up soon. In the meantime, please drop a review.**

**Oh! And I want to dedicate this chapter to vanrigsby, because a few days ago I got a notification on Live Journal telling me that it was her birthday. So, Happy Belated Birthday to you my dear. I hope you had a fabulous day, and that this year is spectacular.**

**Love,**

**Holly 4/5/2012_**


	8. Chapter 8 Telling Bianca

**Shout-Outs: ****StephB9417, chymom, and vanrigsby for reviewing chapter 7. **

**.**

**Chapter 8**

"We need to talk Bee," Rigsby said as he undid his tie and tossed it carelessly on the bureau.

"Not now Wayne. I'm exhausted," Bianca replied. She sat down on the edge of their bed and pulled off one of her nude Louboutin's.

"But it's important Bianca!" Rigsby answered. "I've put it off long enough."

She discarded her other shoe, throwing it aside and rubbing her feet with a weary sigh. "Fine."

Rigsby shuffled his feet, hesitating for a second before releasing a weary sigh of his own. "Do you remember Ariel?"

"The red-head woman at the Jane's house the other night?" Bianca asked. "Yeah, I remember her. What about it?"

"Well, her name really isn't Ariel," Rigsby said. "Her name is really Grace."

"So?" Bianca asked, pulling her neat blonde hair out of its sleek ponytail.

"Her name is really Grace Van Pelt. . . _Rigsby_," Rigsby added. "She's my wife."

Bianca froze, halfway up off the bed. "But you told me that—"

"I know, and I honestly thought so too. But then she showed up in Vegas the night of our honeymoon, and—"

She nodded her head. "So that's why you were acting so strangely that night. And here I was thinking that it was me."

"No!" Rigsby said. "You're absolutely _perfect_ and you're going to make somebody very happy one day."

"Just not you, right?" Bianca asked, looking like she was trying not to fight back tears.

"No, I'm sorry. . . I know that it's strange, but I still love her."

"I wish I were her," she said in a small voice as she looked down and studied her toe nails, painted a bold shade of Cajun Shrimp pink.

Rigsby reached out and took her hands, squeezing them gently. "You can have the bed tonight, and I'll sleep on the couch tonight, okay?"

"Thanks," Bianca replied with a nod, sliding her hands out of his and leaving him to finish getting ready for bed.

**.**

"Okay! So we were involved in a romantic relationship!" Van Pelt replied, slamming a cabinet door shut and going to the faucet to fill it with water. "But in all fairness, I broke it off when I got my memory back! But it isn't as bad as what Rigsby did—"

"And what did Rigsby do exactly?" Lisbon asked. "He _didn't _cheat on you! _We_ all really thought that you were dead! He did the right thing; he needed somebody to help him take care of the kids. He'd want the same thing for you if he ever passed away."

"And you'd know this _how_ exactly?" Van Pelt snapped. "Jane never thought about moving on _once_ when his wife and daughter were killed, he never even looked at you—"

"The circumstances were different," Lisbon interjected. "And he _did_ move on. . . eventually."

Van Pelt paused, trying hard to come up with the most hurtful comeback possible, but one look at her boss's face, and words failed her. It didn't matter what she said, she knew Lisbon had probably thought it more than once over the past ten years. She sighed and stopped banging around the kitchen.

"I guess you're right," she said. "If the circumstances were reversed, Rigsby would want me to move on and be happy. Wouldn't he?"

"I think so," Lisbon replied.

Van Pelt sighed. "I still wish that he'd hurry up and tell that woman the truth about me. And I wish that he'd married Sarah instead of her."

"I'm sure Rigsby will tell her eventually," Lisbon said, she smiled and added teasingly, "and maybe you could give him a head's up for the next time. Tell him that you'd prefer Sarah to be the mother of your children."

Van Pelt couldn't help smiling at this. "Hush."

"Well, you have to admit, it is a good idea."

Van Pelt rolled her eyes. "I'm going to bed; I'll see you in the morning."

"Good night Grace," Lisbon replied. "Pleasant dreams."

"You too."

"I _did_ see you back then, you know that right?" Jane said, coming in from the living room when Van Pelt had left the kitchen.

"Yeah," Lisbon answered, smiling shyly. "But sometimes it didn't feel like you did."

"I liked you a lot," Jane told her. "And I guess that scared me."

"Are you still scared?"

"Every day," Jane admitted. "But now I'm scared for different reasons, now I'm not scared to fall in love again. . . I have no reason to be. Red John is gone, he's not going to come after you to get to me. I'm scared that one day you'll wake up and realize that you deserve better than me. And then you'll leave, essentially killing me."

"Not possible," Lisbon whispered. "Because I'm afraid of the same thing, that one day you'll wake up and realize that you're too good for me."

"Not possible," Jane replied, coming over to her and lifting her up off her stool. "I'll never leave you, ever. You've spoiled me towards other women, nobody I meet will ever be able to compare to you. So sorry Agent Lisbon-Jane, but I'm afraid that you're stuck with me for the rest of your life."

"Well, that's fine. . . because you're stuck with me for the rest of _your_ life," Lisbon replied, closing the gap between them so she could kiss him.

**.**

The next morning, a weary looking Bianca went out to the kitchen and started to make coffee. She looked at Rigsby, who was standing at the counter eating _Lucky Charms_ out of a mug. She looked away and fumbled with the bag of coffee.

"I think we need to get the marriage annulled," she said in a low voice. "I mean, we have grounds for it more than anybody else does. We've never even consummated it. My only thing is, we have to keep it as quiet as possible. My family can't stand a scandal right now, they've just gotten over my brother being busted for drugs. A fake marriage would just be icing on the cake."

"I can keep it as quiet as possible," Rigsby replied. "Besides, I really don't think I want my name out in the public that way."

"And this way you keep Ella and Austin from unfair publicity. It's always worse on the children," Bianca said, switching the coffee maker on. "I know from experience."

"Listen Bee, I'm still sorry. . . this is all my fault—"

"No," Bianca whispered. "This isn't anybody's fault. You, Grace. . .nobody planned for this to happen. It just happened."

Rigsby smiled. "Thanks."

"Listen," Bianca said, pouring her coffee and taking a sip of it. "If things don't work out between you and Grace. . . or if you just need a friend, you know where to find me."

"I'll be sure to remember that," Rigsby replied, putting his mug in the sink.

"See you in court Agent Rigsby," Bianca whispered, her voice breaking ever so slightly.

**TBC. . .**

**Author's Note:**

**Okay, this was a little short and I apologize for that. . . but basically, I go where the inspiration does. This is where it took me, and then it ended abruptly. I'm hoping next chapter that I can have Steve interact with Rigsby a little bit. . . I'm warning you, it won't be pretty.**

**I know that Bianca came off as somebody you wanted to sympathize with, it wasn't my intention to do that. . . but I figured, even witches have feelings and she REALLY does care about Rigsby. So, this happened.**

**If you liked this, leave a review. Feel free to tell me if you didn't like it as well. . . I'm not picky.**

**Love,**

**Holly 4/10/2012_**


	9. Chapter 9 Plans

**Shout-outs: ****StephB9417, LAurore, and AngryLittlePrincess for reviewing the last chapter. Much love and thanks to you guys for being completely awesome, and telling a girl what you think. **

**Disclaimer:**** Okay, I was seriously convicted in church tonight. The sermon was about the eighth commandment, "Thou shalt not steal", and I realize in a way I'm stealing every time I don't put in a disclaimer. So, here we go. . . the Mentalist doesn't belong to me. It belongs to Bruno Heller, I just play in his world sometimes.**

**.**

**Chapter 9**

Rigsby stuck his head into Lisbon's office door later that morning and cleared his throat. "I did it, it's done. . . I told Bianca that Grace is still alive."

Lisbon smiled. "That's good Rigsby. How did she take the news?"

"She didn't throw a fit if that's what you're getting at," Rigsby answered. "Given the circumstances, I think that she took it pretty well."

"So what now?" Lisbon asked.

"Now?" Rigsby repeated. "Bianca and I are going to get the marriage annulled. And then, hopefully, Grace and I can start rebuilding our life together."

"Just like that?" Jane asked as he pushed past Rigsby to get into the office. "I'm pretty sure you guys have a lot of stuff to work out. You have been separated for seven years."

"_Jane_," Lisbon said warningly.

"What do you mean?" Rigsby asked.

"I'm sure that you're still wondering who Stephen Burkett is," Jane said.

"Well. . ." Rigsby hesitated. "No, no I'm not. Grace said that he saved her life, and I trust her completely."

"Gee, when you love somebody you're blind to their flaws," Jane said. "Wake up and smell the coffee Wayne! Grace and Dr. Burkett were involved in a _romantic_ relationship!"

"Jane!" Lisbon said.

"No," Rigsby interjected in a small voice. "He's right, I thought there was something between Grace and Dr. Burkett, but I didn't want to think that she'd hide something that big from me. So, I didn't question it."

"I'm so sorry Rigsby," Lisbon said in a quiet voice.

"But she did break things off when she got her memories back, right?" He clarified.

"She said that she did," Jane assured him. "She's never really given you a reason to doubt her before, so I don't think you have any reason to doubt her now."

"Maybe," Rigsby said.

Lisbon rolled her eyes at Jane. "See what you've done now?"

Rigsby shook his head. "He didn't do anything Lisbon. . . he just made me face the truth, and that's something that I need to do more often."

"Sometimes ignorance is bliss though," Jane said.

"Not in this case," Rigsby replied. "Thanks for making me face the facts, dude."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Lisbon told Jane as Rigsby left the room.

"He doesn't know where Dr. Burkett's staying, does he?" Jane replied.

"I dunno. Why?"

"Because, if he does, then your fears are probably going to be validated," he answered. "Rigsby looks like a man on a mission, and he's headed for the elevators. . . not his desk."

"Crap," Lisbon muttered. "He's on duty too, if anything happens the CBI will probably be held responsible."

"My dear, he's not going to _kill_ him. He's probably going to rough him up a little bit, it's what guys do when they feel like somebody else is moving in on something that belongs to them."

"Van Pelt's a piece of property now?" Lisbon asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it," Jane replied. "Besides, don't women like to feel like they're owned?"

"Women don't want to be owned, they want to be possessed," Lisbon answered with cheeky smile.

**.**

"You want me to do _what_!" Bianca asked, looking at Rigsby in disbelief.

"I want you to pretend that we're still together," Rigsby repeated.

"But why? You're one true love is back, don't you want to make up for lost time?"

"My one true love, as you so adequately put it, hasn't been entirely honest with me," Rigsby answered.

"So, you want to use me to get her to tell you the truth about this doctor guy?"

"More or less," Rigsby answered.

Bianca smiled cattishly. "Count me in, but only if you're sure it'll work and your wife will confess all her dirty little secrets in the end."

"I'm sure that it'll work," Rigsby promised.

"So, do you want me to meet you after I'm finished with work?" Bianca asked.

"Sure. . ."

"At the Italian restaurant where we went on our first date?"

"Definitely," Rigsby answered.

"Should I wear something sexy?"

"Well. . . not too sexy. We can't be too obvious."

Bianca laughed. "No, of course not! I'll see you later Wayne."

Rigsby nodded and bid her goodbye. When he had left her office, he pulled his phone out and dialed Jane and Lisbon's home phone number, Van Pelt picked up after the second ring.

"Hey sweetie," he said. "I just wanted to know if you'd like to meet me at Spataro's for dinner tonight, my treat? Great! See if your friend Steve can come too, I want to thank him properly for saving your life. Okay then, I'll see you at seven."

**.**

"Wayne wants to meet at Spataro's for dinner tonight," Van Pelt told Lisbon as she hung up her cell phone.

"I guess that means Patrick and I will be looking after Ella and Austin," Lisbon said, her phone beeping as on cue, she glanced at it and nodded. "See, I told you? It's a text from Rigsby asking if he can drop the kids off at six. The man is _so_ predictable!"

Van Pelt smiled and scrolled through her numbers, looking for Steve's. "So, I'm assuming that you're _not_ going to do it then?"

"Of course we're going to do it," Lisbon answered, replying to Rigsby's text and getting up to root through her cabinet for mac & cheese. "We love having the kids over. . . mmmh, it looks like I'm going to have to run to the supermarket and pick up some more macaroni and cheese before my lunch break is over. Would you like to join me? We could stop at Starbucks and pick up iced coffee, I'm paying."

"Thanks for the offer, but I think I'm just going to stay here. I have to make a phone call and decide what to wear to dinner tonight," Van Pelt said. "Maybe next time?"

"No big deal," Lisbon said. "I'll just see if Patrick will meet me then."

"Where is Jane anyways?" Van Pelt asked. "You guys rarely eat lunch without each other."

"Patrick's friend, Jack is in town for a few days. So, he went to have lunch with him," Lisbon answered, sending a quick text to her husband. "I would have gone, but Holly had a headache, so we decided to have dinner together at night."

"So, Wayne _was _imposing on your plans!" Van Pelt said.

"Nope," Lisbon replied, glancing at her phone as it beeped again. "They're just coming here for dinner, Jane's using the new grill he bought last month—"

"Jane _grilling_, now _this_ I got to see!" Van Pelt said gleefully.

"And you'll have plenty of opportunity to do so, I promise," Lisbon assured her as she snapped her cell phone shut. "But I have to go now, Jane said that he just left Jack and he'll be at Starbucks in twenty minutes. I'll see you later, have a good afternoon."

"Thanks Lisbon," Van Pelt said, calling a small _Eureka _in her head as she finally found Steve's number.

**.**

"Did you and Uncle Patrick _really_ work together?" Ella asked looking at Jack in awe.

"For a little while," Jack replied. "Your Uncle Patrick was the opening act for my show!"

"Here we go again," Holly muttered, shaking her head and rolling her eyes.

But Ella was too quick for an argument to break out between the old friends, she smiled at Jack. "Did you know that my mom came back after being gone for a long time?"

Jane and Lisbon exchanged open-mouthed looks.

"That's nice," Jack said, taking a bite of his steak, oblivious to Jane and Lisbon's looks. "Where'd she come back from?"

Ella shrugged. "I don't know, nobody will tell me the exact story because I'm too _young_. But I'm not stupid; I know what my mother looks like. I stole a picture of her from my father's desk. He had put all the other pictures of her away because he was dating again."

Jane coughed. "Ella, why don't you finish your dinner now?"

She looked at him. "I don't understand why you guys thought that we'd _not_ recognize her as our mother. Austin's a little slow, but that doesn't make us stupid."

"Ella, how about you and Austin go eat your dinner in front of the TV?" Lisbon tried. "And later, after Jack and Holly have left, we'll talk about this some more?"

"I want to talk about it _now_ though!" Ella objected. "I'm tired of the lying. You're always telling us that lying is wrong—"

"Really Ella, go and watch television _n_ow!" Lisbon said firmly, she looked at Austin. "You too sweetie."

"Yes ma'am," Austin said, oblivious to the whole exchange that happened between his sister and surrogate aunt. He slid out of his chair and grabbed his plate of mac & cheese. "Come on El, you heard Auntie Reese. She said we had to go and watch television."

Ella sighed huffily before following her brother into the den, dragging her feet while shooting sullen looks at Jane and Lisbon.

Lisbon shook her head as the siblings left.

"Well," Jane said, laughing. "I don't know how we're going to get ourselves out of this situation."

**TBC. . .**

**.**

**Author's Note:**

**I was listening to "Stay" by Hurts and I was thinking about writing a tiny prequel to this, basically it'll be Jane and Lisbon's story BEFORE this happened. I might have to change some details from the story that they told in previous chapters, but I won't wonder too far from the original. . . . I'll just change enough to have a well-rounded story. Any thoughts on this?**

**I know I said that I was going to have interaction between Steve and Rigsby, but then I remembered how I've wanted to put a scene in where you find out that Ella knows **_**exactly**_** what's going on. This was just the beginning, she has a lot to say on the matter. . . so, stay tuned. And I promise, the start of the next chapter, Rigsby and Steve will finally go at each other.**

**Until next time!**

**Love,**

**Holly, 4/15/2012_**


	10. Chapter 10 Dinner Date Disasters

**Disclaimer: ****I own nothing, if I did then Jane and Lisbon would be SO together that it would be insane. **

**Shout-Outs: ****colours and carousels, vanrigsby, StephB9417, and AngryLittlePrincess. You guys are the ultimate, thanks for taking the time to tell me what you think.**

**Author's Note I:**

"_**Any man can be a father, but it takes a very special person to be a dad." **_**Unknown_ I just want to take the time to wish a very special man in my life, a Happy Birthday. My dad, he is the most fantastic father a 22-year-old girl could ask for. Not only is he there for me spiritually, but he's there for the fun stuff too. And! He thinks that Jane and Lisbon should be together. . . to quote him, "They belong together, how could you not see it?" Happy Birthday Daddy, you're the best. I couldn't ask for more!**

**.**

**Chapter 10**

"You look lovely," Rigsby said as he greeted Van Pelt with a kiss on the cheek before turning to shake hands with Steve. "You don't look so bad yourself Dr. Burkett."

"Thank you," Steve answered, looking at Van Pelt with a puzzled expression.

Van Pelt shrugged and frowned when she noticed Bianca sitting at the table, swirling her finger through a glass of red wine.

"What's _she _doing here?"

"Who? Oh. . . Bianca," Rigsby answered. "What do you _think_ she's doing here?"

"I have no idea," Van Pelt said. "That's why I asked."

"Why wouldn't he bring me _Ariel_?" Bianca replied icily. "We _are_ married."

"Ariel!" Steve repeated, looking startled. "Now I'm really confused! What is she talking about Grace?"

"I'll explain later," Van Pelt murmured, adjusting her sweater and taking the seat across from Bianca, and making sure to shoot a murderous look in Rigsby's general direction.

Bianca picked up her napkin and pretended to dab at her lips so Van Pelt wouldn't see her smirking. She didn't know what she was doing exactly, but she almost hoped that it would help Rigsby finally get Van Pelt back.

"You know what else I don't understand," Steve said as he took a seat next to Van Pelt. "Why you brought me here with your husband and the woman he isn't legally married to. Unless you both have something to tell us. . ."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Rigsby answered. "What's a little dinner among friends?"

"I'm not your friend," Steve replied. "I don't know anything about you, the only thing that I know about you is that I'm in love with your wife—"

Bianca smiled and fluttered her eyelashes. "Well, as flattering as that is, I'm a one man kind of woman. Besides, I barely even know you—"

"You still haven't told her that I'm alive?" Van Pelt asked, looking at Rigsby incredulously.

"I'm working on it. . ." Rigsby lied. "I just don't know how the right way to tell her."

"Telling it straight is usually the best way to do something like that," Van Pelt replied, glaring over at Bianca.

"I know, I know. But her feelings are kind of fragile," Rigsby said in a low voice. "She doesn't take bad news in the best way; she won't stop crying for a month if I don't tell her the right way."

"Do you want a divorce?" Van Pelt asked.

"Divorce!" Steve asked, his ears perking up. "Who's getting a divorce?"

"Nobody's getting a divorce Steve," Van Pelt answered, making a face at Rigsby. "Not yet anyways."

"Babe, is there something that you want to tell me?" Bianca asked. "Like why you and Ariel are whispering together and not including the rest of us in your conversation?"

"Don't worry sweetheart, we're not talking about you," Rigsby assured her.

"Yeah, but Ariel is a very beautiful girl. It makes me insecure to have you two whispering together."

"Don't worry Bianca," Van Pelt said tersely. "We weren't talking about you, not directly anyways."

Bianca feigned injury. "What's _that_ supposed to mean!"

"Now Bianca, honey. . . Grace didn't mean it that way—"

"Oh really? Bianca challenged. "Well, I think that she did mean it that way!"

Rigsby cleared his throat nervously, he had no idea what he was doing, and he was beginning to wish that he had asked Jane for help planning out the evening. He turned to Steve and smiled uncertainly, he opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out. It didn't matter, because he didn't really want to talk to the doctor, all he wanted to do was punch his pretty face.

**.**

"Why did mommy lie to everybody?" Ella asked later on as she helped Holly and Lisbon clean up the kitchen.

"Sweetie, this isn't really something we should talk about right now," Lisbon said, glancing at Holly. "We have company."

"But Aunt Teresa!" Ella protested.

"Really Ella, don't push it!" Lisbon said firmly. "Or I'll send you away again!"

Ella glared at her, but quieted down immediately. If there was one thing that she hated, it was being sent away from a room with people in it. Besides, she knew that Jane and Lisbon would eventually talk to her about the situation. They had always been the most honest adults in her life; she couldn't remember them ever keeping anything from her.

Except the story about them getting together. But she figured there was some stuff in the story that a girl her age shouldn't know about. (Even though she knew all there was to know about what it was that men and women did together. One of her friends had told her all about it during a boring afternoon on the playground.)

"Ella?" Lisbon asked, breaking into her thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"The kitchen's clean, you can go back and watch television with Austin if you'd like."

Ella smirked. "Thanks."

"I promise, we'll talk later," Lisbon said, giving the younger girl an encouraging smile.

"I know," Ella replied glancing at Holly, who was pretending not to listen to the exchange that was going on between her and Lisbon, she reached up and gave her surrogate aunt a hug. "Thank you."

Lisbon laughed and leaned down to give her a proper hug. "Okay. Talk to you later, now get out of here!"

**.**

"I know!" Rigsby burst out after an hour of sitting in a tortured silence.

"Know what exactly!" Van Pelt asked.

"I know that you and Dr. Burkett were 'dating' all those years that you were gone!" Rigsby answered. "Jane told me!"

"Jane knows _nothing_!" Van Pelt said. "He just likes to stir up trouble!"

"He wasn't stirring up trouble!" Rigsby retorted. "He only confirmed what I felt in my heart."

"Oh, oh. . . who died and made you Lisbon?"

"Tell me the truth!" Rigsby said. "Were you seeing him or not?"

"Jane?" Van Pelt asked. "Never, he belonged to Lisbon the whole time."

"That's not what I mean, and you know it!"

Bianca put a soothing hand on his arm. "Wayne, honey. . . I don't think this is the time or the place to get into this—"

"You know what, I think it is!" Rigsby said. "I've been sitting around the whole week, waiting for you to be completely honest with me Grace. And you know what; you haven't said a word to me about anything."

"I have though!" Van Pelt snapped. "And how can you sit there and talk to me about being honest when you're still stringing Bianca along?"

"Actually—" Bianca started.

Van Pelt ignored her. "I don't see why I have to be honest with you about something that was over a year ago when you've been with this. . . this _Stepford Wife_ since I've come home."

Bianca gasped. "I am _not_ a 'Stepford Wife'! Take that back. . . . you-you-you _LIAR_!"

"Are you two going to get a divorce?" Steve asked hopefully, looking between Van Pelt and Rigsby.

"Oh! Would you just _shut up_?" Rigsby asked, glaring at him.

"Don't tell him to shut up!" Van Pelt said. "You shut up! You're making a mountain out of a molehill Wayne! Nothing, and I mean _NOTHING_ happened between Steve and I. We were engaged—"

"_Engaged!_" Rigsby repeated. "You were _engaged_ and—"

"And then I got my memories back! So, I broke things off you jerk!"

"_Nothing_ didn't happen between us," Steve said. "There was that night we were both drunk and we—"

"Shut up Steve!" Van Pelt ordered. "You know _nothing_ happened that night! You just wanted something to happen, but I stopped it before it got too far!"

Rigsby couldn't take it anymore; he stood up and went around the table to where Steve was sitting. Before Bianca or Van Pelt could stop him, he had picked the doctor up by his suit coat and had slammed his fist into his nose.

**TBC. . .**

**.**

**Author's Note II:**

**I should point out real quick, that this isn't Mary Sue. Holly was REALLY the name of Jack's girlfriend in the episode "Pink Champagne on Ice". Between you and me, I think the Mentalist writers stole my name from my Twitter account, I really do. Somebody who works on the show said that the writers like to name characters after people who work on the show and fans of the show. So, I'm going with that, but believe me. . . I would never name Jack's girlfriend after myself. . . because, well, he's Jack. LOL. **

**Oh! And I'm looking for a theme song for this story, because that's what I do. So far, I'm drawing a blank. Maybe it's one of those stories that aren't meant to have a song.**

**This story should be wrapping up in two or three chapters. I'm running into a brick wall where it's concerned, and there's only so much you can do with this story. **

**If you have any thoughts about this story, click on the little box and tell me what you're thinking.**

**Before I forget, I did something crazy yesterday. . . . tehehehe. Your fearless authoress dyed her hair dark cherry chocolate! I was already a brunette to begin with, but now it's much darker. Yeah, I don't know why I felt the need to share this with you. . . oh well, you know.**

**Until next time!**

**Love,**

**Holly 4/19/2012_**


	11. Chapter 11 Seperation

**Shout-Outs: ****StephB9417, vanrigsby, AngryLittlePrincess, and Shane-jisbon. Thanks for the reviews ladies. **

**Disclaimer: ****I don't own anything to do with the Mentalist. Except for all three seasons. . . which, I guess counts for something. But not really, because I only bought them to give to my _brother_ as a Christmas gift. So, my only claim to them is shelling out the cash for them.**

**.**

**Chapter 11**

"_What_ did you do _that_ for?" Van Pelt asked, throwing him a disapproving look as she jumped up to help Steve with his bloody nose. Rigsby was about to answer, when she glared at him again and started to leave Steve away, saying something about getting him to the hospital.

Bianca smiled at him sadly. "Sorry it didn't work out the way that you wanted it to."

Rigsby sighed and shook his head. "Not your fault, I shouldn't have punched him. . . I just thought, well, I don't know what I was thinking really."

"Men in love rarely ever think rationally," Bianca said, picking up her jacket and purse, she whipped out her credit card and waved their waiter over. "I'm paying, okay?"

"I don't mind paying," Rigsby protested. "This whole mess is my fault, the least I could do is pay."

"That's like adding insult to injury," Bianca replied. "Please, just let me pay, it'll be my last gift to you."

"Okay," Rigsby replied with a small smile. "Thanks Bianca."

"No problem, now go and find Grace. . . try and work things out with her, okay?"

**.**

"Do you understand?" Lisbon asked as she and Jane finished explaining what had happened to Van Pelt.

"Yes, except for one thing," Ella replied tentatively.

"What's that honey?" Jane asked.

"Why didn't she come back right when she got her memories back?" Ella said. "You said she got them back a year ago. Why wait so long to come see us, especially if she missed us so much?"

"Well," Lisbon answered slowly. "Sometimes adults get afraid, and they have trouble doing the hard things."

Ella looked at Jane. "Uncle Patrick, did you have trouble going back to Aunt Teresa after you left her all alone?"

"A little bit," Jane replied, glancing over at Lisbon. "But I loved her so much, I wanted her so much. . . we had missed out on so much of each other that it overtook the fear. Now listen to me, your mother isn't me, but she still loves you. If she didn't love you, or your father and brother than she probably would have never come home at all."

"Are you sure?"

"One hundred and fifty percent," Jane answered, tweaking the edge of Ella's nose. "Now, go and get ready for bed. You don't want to be awake when your dad comes and picks you up."

"No," Ella answered as she threw her arms around his neck and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Goodnight Uncle Patrick, and thank you!"

"Goodnight honey," Jane replied.

Ella turned to Lisbon and gave her a kiss too. "Goodnight Aunt Teresa, love you."

"Love you too sweetie," Lisbon replied, returning her kiss.

"I love you too," Jane added, winking at Lisbon.

She couldn't believe the blush that was spreading over her cheeks from his double-meaning.

"Well, I do!" Jane said when Ella had left. "This whole business with Rigsby and Grace has made me think that I don't say it enough."

"You say it plenty—" Lisbon began.

"I don't think so," Jane whispered as he pulled her down into a lying position with him.

Lisbon nuzzled her face into his chest and sighed contentedly as she took a deep breath of him. "I love you too," she whispered.

**.**

"Grace, we _need_ to talk!" Rigsby said, stopping her as she was going into the ER with Steve.

Van Pelt sighed. "Could we talk later? Steve really needs to see a doctor—"

"Yeah, well Steve can take care of himself!" Rigsby retorted. "But our relationship can't!"

She hesitated a second before sighing and telling Steve that she would try and catch up with him later. She turned to Rigsby and folded her arms across her chest. "Well? What do we _need_ to talk about? The fact that you still haven't told Bianca that I'm still alive, or is it the fact that you acted immaturely at the restaurant tonight?"

"Number one, I told Bianca yesterday that you were still alive! She agreed to help me tonight, because I was hoping that you'd finally tell me what really went on between you and Dr. Burkett!" Rigsby retorted. "And number two, Dr. Burkett is a creep. . . he had the punch coming to him."

"Steve is _not_ a creep! He's actually a really great guy once you get to know him."

"Fortunately, I'll never have the opportunity to get to know him better."

"He saved—"

"Your life, I know. . . and I'll be forever grateful to him for that! But you need to move on from that, I'm sure you've already repaid your debt to him."

"And what's that supposed to mean!"

Rigsby paled. "Not what it sounded like."

Van Pelt rubbed her temples. "Maybe it would be a good idea if we spent some time apart."

"Time apart?" Rigsby repeated. "But Grace, you just got home."

"I know," she said kindly. "But now that I'm back, we could spend some time apart and see if this is what we really want."

"What do you mean?" Rigsby asked in confusion. "If it's what we really want? Grace, you're the only person that I've really wanted since I met you."

"I just need some time, okay? I'm more confused than I've ever been before," Van Pelt whispered. "I think I'll drive down to Malibu and use Jane's old beach house for a couple of months. Do you mind if I bring the kids with me? I'd like to get to know them again."

"Bring the kids with you?" Rigsby asked, his stomach constricting a little bit. "I guess not. . ."

"Thank you," Van Pelt breathed as she stood on tip-toe and kissed him on the cheek.

**.**

"I just need to spend some time alone," Van Pelt told Steve as he waited for a doctor to check in on him. "This has been such a confusing week for me."

"You'll come back one day though?" Steve asked.

"If I do, I'll be going back to Rigsby. He's my husband Steve. . . and the only person I can see myself spending the rest of my life with. But it was fun while it lasted."

"But I love you Grace—"

"And I'm sorry about that; I just hope one day that you can find somebody new to love," Van Pelt whispered, bending over to give him the tiniest of kisses on the cheek. "Thank you for everything Dr. Burkett, I couldn't have done it without you."

"It was nothing but a pleasure. . . Mrs. Rigsby," Steve said dejectedly. He forced a smile. "I'm glad that I saved your life."

**.**

"Grace! What are you doing here?" Lisbon asked in surprise as she opened the door. "I thought for sure that you'd be going home with Rigsby tonight—"

"I came to get my kids," she replied. "And to ask a favor of you and Jane."

"Of course. . ." Lisbon trailed off and stepped aside. "Come on in, Patrick's just making some tea in the kitchen. Would you like any?"

"No, I'm fine," Van Pelt answered. "I just want to talk, really."

"Patrick!" Lisbon called softly. "Grace is here, she says that she needs to talk!"

Jane stepped out of the kitchen with two steaming cups of tea. "We thought for sure that you and Rigsby would have gone home together for the night. So, we put the kids up in the guest room for the night— what's wrong?"

Van Pelt sighed. "Nothing, well not really. . . and _don't_ try to read me either Jane!"

"Okay," Jane agreed, handing Lisbon her tea. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

"Well, I was just wondering if you'd let me use the beach house down in Malibu for a couple of months?"

"You want us to allow you to use the beach house in Malibu without telling us what's going on first?" Jane asked.

"I just think Rigsby and I need some time apart," Van Pelt answered.

"You guys have been apart for a long time now though—" Lisbon started.

"I know, and this first getting back together was so messed up that we need to try again."

"So, try again then. Just don't go away for such a long time; Rigsby will be devastated if you do!" Lisbon said.

"We both agreed that it was for the best!" Van Pelt replied. "Now can I use the beach house or not?"

"You can use the beach house," Jane said. "But why don't you wait until tomorrow to go? Then you'll be fresh for the long drive down. And maybe sleeping on it will put things in prospective for you."

"Like I won't want to go?" Van Pelt asked. "I'm sorry Jane, but nothing's going to change my mind about going."

"Okay then," Jane said. "If you still feel the same way in the morning, then Teresa and I will drive you down there ourselves."

"Fine," Van Pelt agreed. "Can I just go to bed now? I'm exhausted."

"Sure," Lisbon replied, reaching out and giving the girl's arm a gentle squeeze. "Sleep well, okay?"

Van Pelt nodded before disappearing up the stairs and into the guest room.

"Come on," Jane said, putting his arm around Lisbon's shoulder and leading her into the den so they could drink their tea before bed.

**.**

"Pull yourself together man!" Cho said as he poured Rigsby a glass of Scotch. "It's not the end of the world, she'll come back to you."

"Kimball!" Summer said. "Be a little more sympathetic."

"I was sympathetic! Seven years ago, but she's still alive and she's not asking him for a divorce. So, there's really no need for sympathy."

Summer rolled her eyes and put a gentle hand on Rigsby's arm. "You'll get her back, I know you will. All you have to do is try, and maybe buy her a really big present."

**TBC. . .**

**.**

**Author's Note:**

**I almost had him go back to Bianca, but I changed my mind at the last second. This story has been lacking Cho-business and besides, I don't even want to get into the implications of him going back to Bianca. **

**Chapter 12 is in the process of being written right now. So, I should have it ready by tomorrow by the earliest, or Sunday evening by the latest. It might be the last chapter, depending on how things work out. **

**I also think I might have found my theme song for this story. "It Matters to Me" by Faith Hill. . . the lyrics _"baby tell me where you'd ever learn to fight without saying a word/and waltz back into my life like it's all gonna be alright/don't you know how much it hurts?" _is what really sold me. . . mostly because I've been a Rigsby fan this whole entire story. **

**Anyways, leave a review if you'd like. **

**Until tomorrow!**

**I remain your's,**

**Holly, 4/20/2012_**


	12. Chapter 12 Happily Ever After

**Disclaimer: ****I don't own a single thing. If I did. . . well, you know what would happen if I owned anything! So, you know that I don't own anything. **

**Shout-Outs: ****a huge thanks to colours and carousels, AngryLittlePrincess, chymom, and StephB9417 for reviewing chapter 11. **

**.**

**Chapter 12**

Van Pelt watched as Jane stopped Lisbon by his car and whispered something in her ear; she laughed and then wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head in the crook of his neck. He put his arms around her waist and rested his hand on the small of her back. With the ocean in the background and the moon bathing them in its ethereal light, it painted quite a beautiful picture and she felt like she could go on looking at it forever. Even though Lisbon and Jane's frequent displays of affection did make her miss Rigsby all the more.

It had been a month since she had last seen him, and he hadn't made any attempt to contact her. At first she had been thankful for the space. But then Jane and Lisbon had started to come down to Malibu every weekend to check in on her and the kids. She had tried to get them to tell her something (anything) about him, but no matter how much she hinted, they wouldn't say a word to her about what was going on with him.

She sighed as she looked out the window again. Jane had Lisbon leaned up against his Citron and was kissing her fervently.

She turned away and made her way to the bedroom she was sharing with Austin while Jane and Lisbon were visiting.

As she lay in bed, running her fingers through Austin's hair and staring at the ceiling her mind wondered to Rigsby again. She had known in the first week that she wanted to be back with him, but for once in her life she was decided to be stubborn and wait out the two months she had given them apart. She found herself wishing that she wasn't determined to be so stubborn. She found herself wishing that Rigsby wouldn't be so respectful of her wishes and that he would come down to Malibu to persuade her to come home again.

But most of all, she found herself wishing that things hadn't left in the first place. She wished that she could have just looked in Rigsby's eyes and told him the truth about everything that had happened. It's what he had wanted in the first place, but she had been so angry with him for Bianca. . . for making a big deal about Steve that she had wanted to punish him. And that had been her downfall.

**.**

"She still hasn't come back yet, has she?" Bianca asked on the morning she and Rigsby were going to sign the annulment papers.

"How did you know?" Rigsby asked, taking the seat across from her.

"I ran into Summer at the park the other day," she replied. "She told me everything. So, why haven't you gone to her yet? Summer said that you know where she is—"

"She wants to be left alone," Rigsby answered.

Bianca signed her name with a flourish and grinned. "I don't think that should stop you from going to see her, she needs to be wooed again Wayne. Woo her."

"And how do you expect me to do that?"

"You could start out by purchasing her a big present," Bianca answered. "Something expensive, something that she's always wanted."

"You women make it sound so simple."

"Because it is, men complicate things."

"You keep telling yourself that sweetie," Rigsby quipped.

"Fine, if you're not going to buy her a present, then you should at least go to her!" Bianca said. "You might lose her forever if you don't."

"You wouldn't be happy with that?" Rigsby asked. "I might come back to you if that happened."

"Actually—"

"You met somebody?"

She blushed. "Yeah, but we're not too serious yet but we're getting there. I don't want to spend the rest of my life sitting around and pining for you to come along and rescue me from my ivory tower again."

"I understand," Rigsby said, adding his signature to her's. . . signaling the end of their marriage. "And I wouldn't want you to spend the rest of your life waiting for me to rescue you again. It could get awfully boring for you if you did that."

Bianca smiled and got up, walking around the table to go and see him. She stood on her tip-toes and planted a chaste kiss on his cheek. "Goodbye for real this time, and best of luck."

"Best of luck to you too sweetie," Rigsby replied, wrapping his arms around her in a quick hug. "And if anything. . . _anything_ serious happens between you and Mr. Anonymous, I want to hear about it from you first hand and not the Los Angeles Times."

"Deal," Bianca said, stepping away from him and smiling again. "Now go, go. I think you've put off getting back together with her long enough.

**.**

"I saw you and Uncle Patrick kissing on the porch last night." Ella smirked at Lisbon as she helped her make waffles.

Jane chuckled. "I was just showing her how much I appreciated how beautiful she looked in the moonlight."

"I've never seen kissing like that outside of movies," Ella said innocently. "I have a friend who said that old people shouldn't kiss the way that you two were kissing last night."

"Are you insinuating that we're old?" Lisbon asked.

Ella smirked again. "Am I?"

"Why weren't you in bed?" Jane asked.

"Because, watching the two of you is a lot more interesting than watching my eyelids," Ella replied.

Lisbon blushed. "How much did you exactly see El?"

"Enough," Ella answered, smirking a third time.

"You better watch Ella," Jane teased Van Pelt as she came into the kitchen. "She's turning into a peeping Tom."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Van Pelt asked as she poured herself a cup of coffee.

"She was watching me and my wife kiss last night," Jane replied.

Van Pelt blushed. "Well. . . it's completely normal for a ten-year-old girl to be curious about that kind of stuff. Isn't it? "

"I would watch my parents sometimes," Lisbon admitted.

"For me it was my father and his one-night stands," Jane said.

"That explains so many of your problems," Ella quipped, dipping her finger in the maple syrup that Lisbon had put aside to heat up when the waffles were ready to eat.

Van Pelt frowned. "What's that supposed to mean Ella?"

"Oh I don't know _Ariel_, it's something that I've wanted to say ever since I heard it on a movie."

"Ella, we need to talk. . ." Van Pelt started.

"About how you've been lying to Austin and me ever since you came back from wherever you are? Well, I know."

"You know?" Van Pelt repeated.

"Yeah, I stole a picture of you from dad's desk once," Ella replied smoothly.

Van Pelt's jaw dropped open and she searched for something (anything) to say, but words were lost on her.

Lisbon turned the waffle maker off and took Jane's hand, dragging him away. "Come with me while I get dressed, okay?"

"Sure," Jane answered, glancing at Van Pelt and Ella one more time before following her out of the kitchen.

**.**

"I'm sorry that I lied to you Ella," Van Pelt said quietly. "It's just. . . your father was with Bianca, and he wasn't ready to tell her that I was alive yet—"

"So! Dad's always teaching us that honesty is the best policy!" Ella burst out. "How does he expect us to live up to that when you two are constantly lying? And it isn't the way that Uncle Patrick lies so he can catch the bad guy either! I don't even know why you're lying, Bianca's a big girl. She could have handled the truth."

Van Pelt took a deep breath. "It was wrong of me to lie, I know that Ella. But can't you forgive me for it?"

Ella sighed. "Are you going to tell Austin the truth?"

"Of course," Van Pelt said.

"And you're going to get back together with Dad?"

"I'm hoping to," she answered.

"I'm still angry with you," Ella whispered.

"I know, I know," Van Pelt soothed, coming over and pushing a lock of Ella's red hair behind her ear. "And you have every right to be angry at me. But for the future, when you're not angry with me anymore. . . I just want you to know that I love you, and I never stopped loving you."

"Not even when you didn't have any of your memories?" Ella asked.

Van Pelt hesitated for a second, and then she shook her head. "I don' think so."

"Good," Ella said, throwing her arms around Van Pelt's neck and squeezing her tightly. "Because I never stopped loving you either."

**.**

It was later on in the afternoon, and Van Pelt was all alone in the beach house. Jane had taken Ella, Austin, and Lisbon down to the beach to build sandcastles. It had been a very emotional morning for the red-head and she needed the break.

She was sitting on the porch, sipping tea when a familiar car pulled up next to Jane's Citron. Her heart started to pound harder when Rigsby stepped out of the driver's seat, a little rumpled from the long drive, and a dozen red roses in one hand, an empty cup of McDonald's coffee in the other. She could hear the faint sounds of their song coming from the speakers of the car.

At first she was too shocked to move. His showing up at the Malibu beach house was something that she had only dreamed would happen. When she noticed that he wasn't moving either, she got put down her cup of tea and went to see him.

The first thing she did was reach out to make sure it wasn't a dream, that he was really standing in front of her. When she knew that he was real, she cleared her throat and said the first thing that came to her mind.

"There's still another month Wayne—"

"I know, but I couldn't wait anymore!" Rigsby said, shoving the flowers in her face. "Grace, I love you. . . I love you so much, I don't know what to do with myself. And I don't know what I am without you, please say that we can get back together now. I think I might die without you."

Van Pelt's lips twitched. "How did you survive when you thought I was dead?"

"I had Ella and Austin to think about," Rigsby answered. "But now, I don't even have them. You do. . . please Grace, say you'll come back. If you do, I'll marry you again."

"I don't know Wayne—"

Rigsby groaned in frustration. "Why is it when it comes to me, you're always so hesitant?"

"Am I?"

"Since the day I met you," he confirmed.

Van Pelt looked down at the bouquet of roses in her hand. "Come on, we better get these in water before they die."

He followed her into the house and watched as she took a vase from a cabinet and filled it with water.

"Where are Austin and Ella?" He asked as she placed the vase in the middle of the island.

"On the beach with Jane and Lisbon," Van Pelt answered, centering the flowers and standing back to see if they were straight enough.

"Are you going to answer me, or not?" Rigsby asked.

"I told you they're on the beach—"

"I heard you the first time," Rigsby interjected. "I want to know if you and I have a future together, or not."

"If we don't, are you going to run back to Bianca?" Van Pelt asked.

"No," Rigsby answered. "She met somebody new. Are you going to run back to Dr. Burkett if we don't get back together?"

"Doctors do make a lot more money than federal agents. . ."

"Please, stop teasing me and just put me out of my misery already!" Rigsby pleaded.

"My answer is. . . yes," Van Pelt said finally.

"Yes we are going to get back together?" He asked hopefully.

"Yes," Van Pelt answered. "But maybe at Christmas—"

"_Christmas!_"

"I want to make sure that you're going to stay true to me!" Van Pelt answered. "Can you blame a girl wondering?"

"Yes!" Rigsby answered. "Especially after I've assured you of my love for you a million times already."

"But how do I know that you're being completely honest with me?" Van Pelt asked. "You could be saying what I _want_ to hear. No, no. . . I think Christmas is the perfect time to get back together, it'll give you a lot of time to make sure this is what you really want."

Rigsby sighed in frustration, he felt like he was banging his head against a brick wall. And then, suddenly a thought came to him. He smiled slyly and glanced at Van Pelt. "You just wait here, I'll be right back."

"Okay," Van Pelt replied, humming and going over to the coffeepot. "Coffee?"

"No, I'm good! I drank my weight in coffee on the drive over here," Rigsby answered as he left the kitchen.

He made his way to the attic and looked at assorted boxes until he found the one marked _'Christmas'_.

_Where does he keep it?_ He thought as he rummaged through the box, when he was just about to give up, he found what he was looking for. Stifling his laughter, he got dressed quickly and then made his way back to Van Pelt.

"What _are _you doing?" She asked when she saw him standing in the kitchen doorway dressed up like Santa Claus."

"Ho, ho, ho?" Rigsby replied lamely.

"Is that Jane's Santa outfit?"

"Maybe," he answered.

Van Pelt burst out laughing and started towards him. "Okay, okay. I get your point."

"Do you?" He asked as she took the hat off before wrapping her arms around his neck and planting kisses on his cheek.

"Yep," she replied, finding his lips with her's.

"And this means we're back together. Right?"

"Yes Wayne," Van Pelt answered, pulling back slightly and smiling at him. "This means that we're back together."

He picked her up and kissed her enthusiastically.

"I love you," she whispered against his lips.

"I know," he whispered back. "I know."

**.**

"Dad's here!" Ella exclaimed as she ran up the pathway that led to the beach.

"The mountain finally came to Mohammad," Jane said to Lisbon. "This could only mean one thing, they better not have—"

"Shut up Jane!" Lisbon replied, smacking him in the arm, smiling inspite of herself.

"Come on Austin!" Ella yelled over her shoulder. "Dad's here!"

"Um, Ella!" Jane called. "Don't just go barging into the house, okay?"

"Why not?" Ella challenged.

Lisbon laughed at the look on Jane's face as he searched for a plausible reason to not go barging into the beach house.

"Because, I promised Austin that we'd walk down to the pier and get ice cream!" He finally said.

Ella's eyes lit up. "Any kind we want?"

"Any kind you want," Jane confirmed, glancing at the house again.

"But dinner's supposed to be in an hour," Ella said.

"We can get dinner there to," Jane replied. "There's a little restaurant next to the ice cream shack."

"And they have mac & cheese for Austin?" Ella double-checked.

"I haven't been there since last summer," Jane answered. "But the last time I was there, they definitely had macaroni and cheese."

"Will Dad and Mom meet us down there?"

"We'll text them and tell them where we're going," Lisbon answered, pulling her cell phone out of her shorts and punching in a quick message. She pressed the send button and then reached for Jane's hand, intertwining their fingers as they led Ella and Austin down to the pier.

**.**

Van Pelt woke up with a start when her phone beeped, signaling that she had a text. She yawned and picked it up, it was from Lisbon telling her that they had taken the kids down to the pier, it also asked her and Rigsby to join them whenever they got the message.

She shook her husband awake. "Wayne, wake up! We just got a message from Lisbon!"

"Crime really never sleeps, does it?" Rigsby asked, yawning as he turned over on his back.

"You silly man!" Van Pelt replied affectionately. "There isn't any crime to solve, we're in Malibu. Lisbon said that they want us to meet them for dinner and ice cream. The kids are dying to see you."

"Well, in that case!" Rigsby said, stretching before getting out of bed. "What are we waiting for?"

Van Pelt smiled and followed suit, pulling on her clothes as she followed him out of the guest room, down the stairs, and out the front door.

It didn't take them long to walk down to the pier or to find the Janes and their children. They were sitting at a picnic table, snacking on fried mozzarella sticks. Jane was sitting impossibly close to Lisbon, his hand resting on the small of her back as he told the younger Rigbys a story about the time he gave Lisbon a pony for her birthday.

Ella was laughing hysterically; marinara sauce was flying all over the place as she waved her mozzarella stick in the air. She stopped laughing when she saw her mother and father holding hands.

"You're back together!" She squealed.

Van Pelt nodded. "Yeah."

"We're a family again!" Ella screamed, jumping off the bench and running to her mother and father. She threw her arms around both of them and screamed some more.

"Congratulations man," Jane said standing and clapping Rigsby on the back.

"Thanks!" Rigsby grinned, tightening his grip on Van Pelt's hand.

Lisbon came over and hugged Van Pelt. "Good for you, I'm glad you finally stopped the foolishness and took him back," she whispered.

"I guess this means that you don't need to use the beach house anymore, and that we'll all be going back to Sacramento now?" Jane asked.

"Yeah," Van Pelt answered, smiling up at Rigsby. "We can all go home now."

**. **

**Author's Note II:**

**That's all she wrote folks. Hope it was the ending that you were expecting. In all honesty, it wasn't the ending that I was expecting. But sometimes, creativity takes over and that's that. Hope you'll give me your feedback on the last installment of this chapter.**

**Call me crazy, but I'm DYING to write one-shots to "I Won't Say I'm In Love" from Hercules and "Beauty & the Beast" from Beauty & the Beast (obviously). Why the heck does it seem like Disney songs make wicked good Jane and Lisbon stories? Well, I guess the "I Won't Say I'm In Love" idea comes from something my dad said about Lisbon. . . **

**Anyways, until next time (which won't be long, I have a couple one-shots and the prequel to this up my sleeve. Plus, I'm working on a new multi-chapter story that revolves around Jane and Lisbon. . . and only them. Hey, I wrote a Rigsby/Van Pelt story, yes. . . but my heart still lies with Jisbon and it ALWAYS will!). **

**Love,**

**Holly 4/20/2012_**


End file.
